Ruckus in Nepal’s lower house as opposition picket well chanting slogans against Speaker

Kathmandu [Nepal], September 8 (ANI): Ruckus erupted in Nepal’s Parliament as opposition CPN-UML lawmakers picketed well of the lower house, chanting slogans against the issuance of an ordinance to split a political party.
Opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist shouted slogans against House Speaker Agni Sapkota, who also is blamed to be involved in bringing party splitting ordinance.
Chief whip of UML Bishal Bhattarai, speaking during the first meeting, also accused the speaker of being biased and criticised for letting expelled 14 members from the latter’s party, attend a meeting of fresh house session.
“With the proroguing of an earlier session of Lower house, we had suspected an ordinance to split the political parties might be introduced. Many of the honourable members of the house had suspected it and said it here, proving it right, session of the house was prorogued on 16th August and rumour about the ordinance starts the following day which is ultimately issued by the President on the second day of the formal end of an earlier session of the lower house. A day before issuance of the ordinance we had tabled a letter to House Speaker which had acknowledged disciplinary action taken against 14 lawmakers from our party,” Bhattarai said.
The ordinance brought by the Sher Bahadur Deuba government had paved the way for the CPN-UML and the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) to split.
The government had introduced the ordinance by ending the ninth session of the federal parliament on August 16.
Fifteen ordinances, including the ordinance on Political Parties Act, 2002 (Second Amendment) brought by the Deuba government, were supposed to be tabled in today’s parliament meeting.
Lawmakers from the opposition party came to the well-shouting slogans as soon as speaker Sapkota tried to clarify the demands set forth by the UML lawmakers.
Answering the question raised amid the chaos, the speaker claimed that he retains no authority and the parliament is not authorized to discuss issues that are currently under discussion in Supreme Court.
“I again would reiterate rules mentioned in House of Representatives- 2075, rule 21 sub-section C and D. I want you all to take note of sub-section C and D,” Sapkota warned.
UML had dismissed 14 lawmakers including former PM Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal alleging them of violation of party discipline. House Speaker who owns the right about taking action against the members of the house, gave his decision to keep 14 lawmakers from the opposition in their post and cancelled the recommendation to cancel their seat off parliament.
After Wednesday’s ruckus by opposition lawmakers meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) has been adjourned till September 10.
Speaker Agni Sapkota had earlier adjourned the session twice due to obstruction by the UML lawmakers. The session could not be conducted as UML members shouted slogans against Speaker Sapkota for being bias.
CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Oli earlier on Wednesday also had warned to obstruct parliament session provided defecting UML lawmakers (currently in Madhav Kumar Nepal’s CPN-Unified Socialist party) attended the session. (ANI)