Parliamentary Effectiveness Questioned Amidst Budget Session Debates

Kathmandu. With the third election after the promulgation of the constitution in Nepal and parliamentary practice moving forward, serious questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the Federal Parliament.

The budget session, called since May 11, has been passing through various political disputes and obstructions. In particular, it is being commented that the dignity and performance of the parliament have been adversely affected due to the controversial statement made by the Prime Minister regarding the border dispute.

The then parliament was dissolved after the Gen-Z rebellion last August. After that, in the general election held on February 21, the National Independent Party (NIP) won a single majority and is currently running the government.

Since the NIP has a single majority, the Federal Parliament has not been spent on power calculations and rivalries this time. However, the parliament has been obstructed for various reasons during this budget session. Complaints have been increasing that the parliament, the main forum for lawmaking, has not been effective in this task, and the MPs have not been able to maintain the dignity of the meeting.

• Prime Minister's Statement and Parliamentary Stalemate

Prime Minister Balen Shah made a controversial statement on May 17 while answering questions from MPs in the House of Representatives. He said, 'I also realized after becoming Prime Minister that India has not only encroached on Nepal's borders, but Nepal has also encroached on India's borders.'

This statement by the Prime Minister regarding the border received great attention in the political circle. Due to this statement, the opposition parties obstructed the parliament for a long time. The parliament became a victim of the Prime Minister's defense and opposition. The series of opposition parties seeking clarification from the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister not being ready for it continued for a long time, and the issues of the people were overshadowed. Due to the Prime Minister's discretion, the repercussions were felt not only in the House of Representatives but also in the upper house, the National Assembly. Meanwhile, the government's policy and program and budget were passed, and some ordinances took the form of law. However, the opposition parties are commenting that the sovereign parliament has fallen under the shadow of the government.

• Opposition's Allegation: Government Dominates Parliament and Committees

CPN (UML) MP Khitij Thebe has alleged that the parliament has not been functioning effectively, accountably, and with dignity as per the expectations of the people. He stated that although the constitution envisions parliament as the main body for state operation, the parliament and the government have not been working according to the people's mandate recently.

MP Thebe commented that the parliamentary stalemate could not be ended and the government could not be held accountable, and the parliamentary committees also could not effectively play the role of 'check and balance' on the government. He alleged that the government dominates the House of Representatives and parliamentary committees.

Mentioning that the lack of experience of the MPs has also affected parliamentary activities, Thebe said, 'I had proposed to operate a Parliamentary Academy when the rules of procedure for the House of Representatives were being made.' He believed that this would facilitate the process of lawmaking in parliament, the government's policies and programs, and the evaluation of MPs' activities. Claiming to have played a constructive role in taking the government in the right direction by breaking the narrative of the opposition only protesting, he said it was unfortunate that a situation had arisen where a Ganesh Nepali had to self-immolate to force the government to back down.

• Ruling Party's Claim: Dozens of Bills Passed Amidst Obstructions

Ruling party MPs, on the other hand, appear satisfied with the parliament's performance, stating that they have succeeded in advancing and legalizing dozens of bills in the current session. National Independent Party (NIP) MP Runju Neupane claimed that although lawmaking used to be affected by frequent parliamentary obstructions in the past, the pace of lawmaking has not stopped this time despite the opposition's obstruction. She stated that priority has been given to the construction of laws necessary to make the government's development and service delivery effective.

Expressing concern about the lack of sufficient business in parliamentary committees, she said, 'We currently have no bills in our Industry Committee.' Pointing out the need to provide more business to the committees, she said that new MPs are gradually gaining experience and are sensitive to the dignity of the parliament.

Similarly, NIP MP Prabha Karki said that the current session of parliament has been focused on addressing the needs and high expectations of the people. She acknowledged the challenge that citizens have become impatient due to the long-standing lack of good governance and stability in the country, and the government needs to work to deliver immediate results. She said, 'It has only been a hundred days, we need a little patience, we are working.'

Another NIP MP, Rahbar Ansari, has taken a positive view of the parliamentary activities so far. He said that parliament is the supreme forum for raising the voice of the people, and during this period, MPs have actively participated in national and international issues as well as problems in their respective areas. Praising the role played by Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal in the parliament, he said, 'It is natural for there to be some arguments in the parliament. If there are no arguments, concrete things will not come out regarding solving the people's issues.' Overall, he believes that the parliamentary journey so far is moving in the right direction.