Parliament

Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has informed the House of Representatives that Prime Minister Balendra Shah is preparing to attend Parliament and respond to lawmakers' questions, following disruptions by opposition parties. The opposition had been demanding the Prime Minister's immediate presence to address contemporary national issues, leading to parliamentary sessions being adjourned. The Speaker stated that the Prime Minister is aware of the ongoing developments and is ready to provide responses.

The CPN-UML has accused Prime Minister Balendra Shah of violating the Constitution of Nepal by consistently avoiding parliamentary accountability. UML Chief Whip Ain Bahadur Mahara stated that the Prime Minister's absence from the House of Representatives undermines democratic norms and bypasses legislative scrutiny, despite the government having a strong public mandate. Opposition parties are demanding the Prime Minister's immediate appearance to address national issues and explain his constitutional obligations.

Speaker DP Aryal proceeded with parliamentary business in the House of Representatives on Thursday despite ongoing protests and slogan chanting by opposition lawmakers demanding the presence of Prime Minister Balen Shah. Following a brief adjournment and discussions between Speaker Aryal and Prime Minister Shah, the session resumed with the Speaker moving forward with the agenda, including the presentation of an election-related ordinance by Minister Sobita Gautam, while opposition parties continued their obstruction.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has committed to facilitating Prime Minister Balendra Shah's presence in the parliamentary question-and-answer session, following strong demands from opposition parties. Opposition parties are insisting on the Prime Minister's attendance as per House Rules, which mandate a direct question-and-answer session during the first week of a parliamentary session. While the RSP chief whip assured efforts would be made, no specific date has been set for the Prime Minister's appearance.

In the House of Representatives, MP Aren Rai raised questions regarding the delayed arrest of GB Rai, a business partner of Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane, in connection with alleged multi-billion rupee embezzlement from cooperatives. Rai also cautioned against misusing state funds for victim compensation while highlighting other issues.

Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Yagyamani Neupane has called for the public disclosure of judges' assets to enhance judicial transparency and accountability. He also urged the government to enact necessary laws for the operationalization of local courts to reduce the burden on the Supreme Court.