Turmoil in Parliament after Speaker said fugitive MP Koiri had taken 'sick' leave

KATHMANDU, April 28: In the meeting of the House of Representatives, there was a dispute over the issue of MP Lakshmi Mahato 'Koiri', who is absconding on charges of murder. At the end of the session of the House of Representatives held on Friday, Speaker Devraj Ghimire announced the names of the MPs who were absent from the Parliament during this session. Nepali Congress MP Ramhari Khatiwada protested after Speaker Ghimire gave the information that UML MP Koiri was not present at the meeting due to illness.

As MP Khatiwada protested, MPs from Congress, Maoist Center, Rashtriya Swatantra Party and others stood up and protested. After the MPs continued their protest, the Speaker gave time to the Nepali Congress MP Ramesh Lekhak to speak.

The MP writer said it was clear that MP Koiri had not come to the meeting of the House of Representatives for a long time. He said that he is a criminal accused and the court has ordered to imprison him, the police are looking for him and if found, he will have to go to prison for pre-trial detention. He said that it is ridiculous for the Speaker to propose that a person in such a situation is on sick leave. He asked to think about the far-reaching effects of this matter. 

Similarly, Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, said that the issue of the fugitive MP Koiri has become complicated and requested that the fugitive accused should not be kept under sick contract. He showed a photo of Koiri absconding in India and asked for his arrest.

Similarly, Rashtriya Janamorcha MP Chitra Bahadur KC, Nepal Workers Peasants' Party MP Prem Suwal demanded that action be taken against Koiri saying how a person involved in crime can stay on sick leave.

The MPs continued to protest demanding that the issue regarding the sick leave of the absconding MP Koiri should be removed from the records of the Parliament. After that Speaker Ghimire adjourned the meeting of the House of Representatives for half an hour.