Kathmandu: Speaker Devraj Ghimire today held discussions with the acting chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal, and Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar regarding the ongoing obstruction of Parliament.
The meeting took place at the Speaker’s official residence in Baluwatar on Monday morning. During the meeting, the Speaker highlighted that Parliament has been held hostage by the opposition for two weeks.
He said obstructing parliamentary proceedings, especially during the crucial time for extensive discussions on the budget, sends a negative message to the public and urged the RSP to reconsider their stance.
“The issues raised by the opposition are serious, and that’s why I’ve allowed Parliament to be halted for two weeks in pursuit of a consensus,” Ghimire said. “However, it’s no longer possible to continue the obstruction. As the leader of Parliament, I must also consider constitutional limits. The National Assembly has requested that the Appropriation Bill be sent from the House of Representatives by the 5th [of Ashad]. In this situation, the budget must be passed under any circumstances. You must understand the constitutional limits and obligations, even if it means changing the nature of your protest.”
Speaker Ghimire also expressed his readiness to facilitate dialogue with the government and urged the RSP leaders to take the matter seriously. In response, RSP leaders stated that their parliamentary obstruction was unavoidable as the government has not been serious about addressing their demands and issues. They conveyed that, under the current circumstances, they cannot back down from their demands.
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