Journalists' role crucial in enriching parliamentary practices: Speaker Ghimire

Kathmandu, December 16 — Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire has said that the parliamentary journalists' role is important in making the parliamentary practices richer.

Launching a publication entitled 'Parliamentary Reporting: Principles and Practices' brought out by the Journalist Society for Parliamentary Affairs here today, he said the media can play a key role in disseminating parliamentary activities to the people.

"Embracing this very significance of the media, we have made provision for 'lobby journalism' in the Regulation. The work procedures would also be drafted on the basis of the same," Speaker Ghimire said.

According to the Speaker, it is also the responsibility of the media to clarify to the people when questions are being raised against the governance system itself indicating towards some of its shortcomings.

National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal said the book published by the Society is useful for those interested in the parliamentary issues and to the lawmakers as well. "It would have been better had the articles on the openness of the parliamentary system in Nepal and its world-wide practices also been included in the book," he commented.

The Chair of the upper house of the Federal Parliament said that criticism and the message it sends out should always be constructive. Deputy Speaker Indira Rana urged the media to disseminate news with a truthful and positive message.

Secretary General of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Padam Prasad Pandey, said the Secretariat has started research works to enrich the country's parliamentary history.

Commenting on the book, senior journalists Hari Bahadur Thapa and Jagat Nepal, National Assembly former secretary Rajendra Phuyal, Society president Manoj Satyal, former president Narayan Kafle and the National Project Manager of Parliament Support Project, Dila Dutt Panta spoke on Nepal's parliamentary practices, history, parliamentary activities and role of media, among various topics.