Opposition Leader Urges Speaker Election Before Budget

Hetauda. Chief Opposition Party Leader of Bagmati Province Assembly, Shalikram Jammakattel, has urged the government to prioritize the election of the Speaker in the parliament. Speaking at the budget session meeting of the Province Assembly which began on Monday, Leader Jammakattel stated that it is shameful for the parliament to be without a Speaker for 7-8 months. He has set a condition for the ruling parties to elect a Speaker before bringing the policy and program and budget. He also warned that no other agenda of the house can proceed without the election of the Speaker. Leader Jammakattel said it is not just for the entire Province Assembly to be without a Speaker due to disagreements among the ruling parties. He pledged the opposition's full cooperation in electing the Speaker. He urged the government to bring a schedule for the Speaker's election before the policy program and budget. He expressed dissatisfaction that the government is trying to focus only on the agenda of the policy program and budget without electing a Speaker. 'You two parties cannot agree and hold the house hostage? The Deputy Speaker is running the session, so why do we need a Speaker?' he said, 'Bring the schedule for the Speaker's election before bringing the policy program. Let's elect the Speaker in two hours. Then, let's proceed with other agendas. You bring the proposal, our party will support it.' 'Are you in a hurry to bring the budget by keeping a crucial post like the Speaker vacant?' he questioned. He warned that if the issue of the Speaker is ignored and partisan discrimination is seen in the budget, the resistance in the house will be strong. He stated that there are some technical and practical errors in the government's efforts to restructure the administration and reduce the number of ministries. Especially, the decision to merge the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry into one is wrong, he said. Leader Jammakattel accused the current government of distorting or neglecting the School Nurse Program, Chepang Chiuri Chamero Program, and Dalit and Housewife Women Development Program brought during his government's tenure. 'The structure and subject matter of agriculture and forestry are different. Merging them will create complexity in service delivery. When the service offices at the district level are merged, people complain about the hardship, so this compulsion to travel to Hetauda or other districts must end. The government must move forward without prejudice or bias. Investment should be made in producing technical manpower in the education sector,' he said.