Opposition Criticizes PM for Lack of Ownership Over Policy Document

Kathmandu. The main opposition party Nepali Congress has made a serious allegation that the government's policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year has not been owned by the Prime Minister himself.

Speaking at a National Assembly meeting on Wednesday, Congress Chief Whip Padam Pariyar said that the Prime Minister leaving the parliament while President Ram Chandra Paudel was presenting the policy and program raised questions about the government's responsibility towards its own program.

Opposition parties are strongly criticizing the Prime Minister's behavior during the reading of the policy and program by the President as unconstitutional, unparliamentary, and disrespectful. Chief Whip Pariyar commented that such impatience and impolite behavior is a major blow to democratic values and parliamentary etiquette. Stating that such an unfortunate scene has appeared for the first time in Nepal's parliamentary history, he said that all citizens who believe in democracy are deeply hurt by this incident.

Speaking on a special time in the session, Pariyar said, 'We had to witness unparliamentary, impatient, impolite, and disrespectful behavior for the first time in the history of Nepal while the policy and program of the Government of Nepal was being read by the Right Honorable President from the Federal Parliament meeting. All democratic forces and citizens of Nepal are saddened. We feel that democracy has been greatly attacked by such impolite behavior. Today, the agenda is to discuss the policy and program, but the question has arisen whether to discuss it or not since the Prime Minister himself has not owned it.'

MP Pariyar said that the tendency of MPs to get up and leave arbitrarily while the President was presenting the policy and program has made a mockery of parliamentary practice and dignity. Stating that such unparliamentary behavior can no longer be tolerated, he argued that there is no point in discussing the program if the Prime Minister himself has not owned it. He demanded that the Prime Minister should come to the parliament and give a clear answer, and also insisted that the Chairman of the National Assembly should make a ruling in the name of the government.