Opposition Parties Question Ruling Party's Actions and Government's Work Style in Parliament

Kathmandu. In the House of Representatives meeting held after a week, opposition parties have raised questions on various issues regarding the ruling party RSP and the government's work style. 

In the meeting held on Sunday, opposition parties Nepali Congress, CPN UML, Nepal Communist Party, Labor Culture Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party raised various issues.

Opposition parties have raised issues such as the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) making children its party members, FIFA suspending ANFA due to government policy, and UML Vice-Chairman Bishnu Prasad Paudel being arrested on grounds of revenge. Also, the opposition parties have raised the issue of RSP's proposal to abolish provincial assemblies in parliament. 

Congress MP Renuka Kaucha drew the attention of the government and the Election Commission, stating that RSP was found to be distributing party membership to children under 18 years of age, contrary to the prevailing law. 

Citing data released during RSP's general convention, Kaucha stated that RSP has made 35,257 children members, reminding of Nepal's constitution and the Political Parties Act, 2073 BS.

'According to the act, children below 18 years of age cannot be made members of a political party. If this is done, there is a provision of a fine of eighty thousand rupees and imprisonment for up to 3 years,' Kaucha said, 'Is RSP above the constitution? Is it okay for them not to follow the law?'

Opposition from Congress regarding RSP passing the proposal to make children party members

MP Kaucha questioned the legality of various office bearers and central members of RSP who were elected by riding on the 'vote bank' of children. 

'There is a clear provision in the Children Act, 2075 BS, that children cannot be used for political purposes,' Kaucha said, 'How can the working committee, which stands on the foundation of those children made members against the law, be legal?'

She questioned the tendency of the party participating in the government to prepare to abolish student unions and SWC, stating that students should not be involved in politics, while on the other hand, they are making young students carry bags in their own party.

'Is it appropriate for the government, which talks about keeping students away from politics, to line up children for membership in its own party?' she questioned.

Similarly, CPN UML MP Dr. Pushparaj Kandel raised a question about the government's preparation to increase the number of members in the private secretariat of ministers. He sought the necessity and justification for the preparation to increase the minister's secretariat in the meeting.

Kandel termed the preparation to increase the number of ministers' private secretariats as policy-level corruption, saying, 'It is said that a minister will have up to 9 advisors and private secretaries in the secretariat. What is that, what is its reality? If it is true, then it is a model of policy-level corruption.'

He also sought the reason for the arrest of UML Vice-Chairman and former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel. Regarding the government's arrest of Paudel during the investigation of money laundering, he said it was another form of the accusation made against KP Sharma Oli in the past.

Kandel stated that the government is carrying out this action with the objective of showing that high-ranking people have also been apprehended, to intimidate all the opposition, and to defame UML. 

UML demands immediate release of Bishnu Paudel from Parliament

'Bishnu Paudel is innocent and he has been subjected to revenge,' he said.

Similarly, Chief Whip of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Yuvraj Dulal said that the documents passed by the ruling RSP's general convention have sought to weaken the basic structure of democracy and federalism. 

Dulal warned that some ideas that have come under the guise of popularity could push the country back into conflict. 

Dulal questioned the policy and intentions of RSP, saying, 'The force that has come covered by the veil of popularity is trying to sabotage the structure of our federalism, we must be aware of this.'

MP Dulal said that it is a betrayal of the people to ask for votes by saying that the provinces and local levels will be empowered during the elections and then to adopt a policy of abolishing those structures. 

NCP: RSP's document is trying to shake the foundation of democracy

He said, 'Those who do not have the basic knowledge that federalism cannot exist without the presence of provinces should come to politics only after studying politics.'

Dulal accused the government of increasing expenses by gathering a crowd of secretary-level advisors in ministries, despite talking about cutting administrative expenses and abolishing structures. 

Dulal termed the Prime Minister's statement in parliament that 'Nepal has encroached upon India's land' as treason. 

Similarly, Chief Whip of the Labor Culture Party, Aren Rai, said that the government should take immediate necessary initiatives to lift the suspension imposed by the world football governing body (FIFA) on the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). 

Rai said that the government should fulfill all the conditions set by FIFA as soon as possible to secure the future of the players of the Nepali national team and clubs, and create an environment for the suspension of ANFA to be lifted. 

'Let high-level talks be held immediately between the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, and ANFA to resolve the issue of third-party interference raised by FIFA as soon as possible. Ensure that ANFA can amend its statutes, conduct election processes, and manage its internal affairs independently according to FIFA's statutes and international sports laws,' he said.

MP Rai also demanded that the legal ambiguities between the Sports Act and FIFA's rules be removed immediately. He said that while maintaining the necessary government regulation in the sports sector, political and administrative interference that causes problems internationally should be completely ended.

Labor Culture's question: Was the Prime Minister's statement in the national interest?

He said, 'Let the legal ambiguities between the Sports Act and FIFA's rules be removed immediately. Let political and administrative interference that causes problems internationally be completely ended while maintaining necessary government regulation in the sports sector. Let the necessary diplomatic, legal, and administrative initiatives be immediately advanced by the government to save the future of national team and club players and to lift the suspension on ANFA by fulfilling all conditions set by FIFA.'

Gyan Bahadur Shahi, leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party's parliamentary party, questioned the government's preparation to punish citizens in the name of traffic rules and demanded that the state also be held accountable. 

Gyan Bahadur Shahi: Not only citizens should be punished in the name of traffic rules, but the state should also be held accountable

'If citizens can pay a fine of 1 lakh rupees for violating traffic rules, should the state pay a fine when it commits a crime? The state and the law should not be only for punishing citizens,' Shahi said. 

MP Shahi urged the government to take seriously the vehicle accidents caused by the poor condition of the roads. 

Shahi also questioned the government's work style and the documents of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Shahi accused the government of giving slogans of frugality on one hand and plundering the state treasury on the other. 

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