Speaker to hold consultations with top leaders of major parties, including PM

KATHMANDU: Speaker Devraj Ghimire is scheduled to hold consultation with the top leaders of the major political parties, including the Prime Minister, at his office in Singha Durbar at 11.30 am tomorrow.

The Speaker has called a meeting with the top leaders of main parties in an effort to forge consensus before the start of the Parliament upcoming session, said Shekhar Adhikari, the press coordinator of the Speaker.

Speaker Ghimire has called Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli, the Rastriya Swatantra Party president Rabi Lamichhane ad the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chair Rajendra Lingden to the meeting.

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, had continuously obstructed the parliament’s proceedings towards the end of the erstwhile session, calling for the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee to probe into the alleged involvement also of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Lamichhane, who is also the RSP president, in the misappropriation of the cooperative’s funds.

The Speaker called a meeting for discussion before the commencement of the next session after the Congress’ obstruction affected the House business in the previous session.

Speaker Ghimire called the meeting of the top leaders twice during the last session of the Parliament to clear the obstruction of the House, but the consensus effort did not bear fruit. Similarly, a separate discussion was held with the chief whips and whips as well as in the House Business Advisory Committee to resolve the issues raised in the House regarding the cooperative scam.

The monsoon session of Parliament is commencing on May 10. Speaker Ghimire has been meeting with the presidents of the Parliamentary Committees and the Whips collectively and with the Chief Whips separately in a bid to make the upcoming session of the Parliament effective.

The Speaker has called the meeting of top leaders nine times in a period of 15 months since he was elected to the post.