Speaker seeks consensus for sequencing House business

Published On: July 20, 2016 02:10 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, July 20: Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar has urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take initiative for forging consensus among major political parties for finalizing sequence of parliament's business.

In a growing confrontation between the ruling coalition and the opposition regarding the House business for Thursday, Speaker Gharti Magar called on Prime Minister Oli on Tuesday at his official residence at Baluwatar.

According to the prime minister's press advisor Pramod Dahal, the prime minister had urged the speaker not to aggravate confrontation within the parliament and function as a common leader of the House. The prime minister had raised concerns over the speaker's move to reschedule last Wednesday's meeting and remove the business of endorsing the financial bills related to budget but include no-confidence motion against him in the House business for Thursday.

"You should function as a common figure to all parties in parliament and you should follow the past precedents and tradition," Dahal quoted PM as saying.

According to the speaker's press advisor Babin Sharma, the speaker assured the prime minister that she is always ready to convene the House meetings as per the consensus among the parliamentary parties.

"If parties agree among themselves to discuss the financial bills before the discussion on no-confidence motion or vice versa, I am ready to convene the House meeting accordingly," Sharma quoted the speaker as saying.

According to Sharma, Speaker Gharti Magar urged the prime minister to take initiative for developing a consensus among parties and also informed him that she is ready to play the role of facilitator.

"The speaker met the prime minister and CPN-UML chief today [Tuesday] and plans to meet Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday," informed Sharma.

Speaker Onsari Gharti has scheduled the House meeting for Thursday for discussion on the no-confidence motion.