HoR meeting postponed after protest of opposition parties

Kathmandu, April 10: Today’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) has been postponed after the lawmakers from the opposition parties- Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)- obstructed the House proceedings, calling for forming a parliamentary investigation committee over the embezzlement of amount of cooperatives.
The opposition lawmakers stood from their seats in the sign of protest, demanding that Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane resign from his post and that a parliamentary investigation committee should be formed to probe the cooperative scam.
After this, Speaker Devraj Ghimire called the attention of the government and the bodies concerned on the topics raised by the opposition lawmakers and urged them to cooperate in the conduction of the House meeting.
The Speaker suspended the meeting, removing the agenda items fixed for today’s session after the opposition lawmakers took a stance of not allowing the proceedings to move ahead.
At the outset of the meeting, the opposition party MPs alleged that the victims of cooperatives fraud are deprived of justice because of DPM and Home Minister Lamichhane while the ruling party lawmakers retorted, saying not to resort to personal attack without any basis.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada alleged that justice for the victims of the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperatives and investigation into the embezzlement of funds of this cooperative have been impeded because of Home Minister Lamichhane.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of Nepal Police dispatched two officers to Pokhara for investigation. The investigation was preparing its report implicating the present Home Minister in the cooperative’s embezzlement. We suspect that this report was also tweaked after the change of the political alliance,” he said, adding, “We suspect that the investigation process was stopped when the same person against whom the investigation was going on became the Home Minister under whose jurisdiction the Nepal Police falls, further victimizing the cooperative victims.”
CPN (UML) lawmaker Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri said the embezzlement of depositors’ money in the cooperatives is a case of fraud and called on the government to ensure that the depositors are not duped and they get justice. He argued that since this topic is under consideration in the court, it should not be debated in parliament.
Lawmaker Madhav Prasad Sapkota cautioned the opposition leaders and lawmakers not to waste the valuable time of the parliament in mutual disputes by levelling accusations. He urged them to present themselves constructively in the parliament and make the House a place for meaningful and constructive debate.
Lawmaker of the Rastriya Swatantra Party Manish Jha said that the lawmakers should not target a person in the parliament without a legal basis. He however reiterated that they are always in support of the rule of law and good governance.
RPP lawmaker Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi alleged that the Home Minister’s issuing order declaring a ‘prohibited area’ is tantamount to an attack on freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration. He accused the Home Ministry of committing excesses during the RPP’s ‘peaceful’ demonstration on Tuesday, saying 18 RPP supporters were injured due to police assault and had to be admitted to hospitals.
The House of Representatives will next meet at 11.0 am on Sunday, the 14th of April.