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Lawmakers from the Opposition and the ruling parties in Nepal's lower house, the House of Representatives, squabbled on Sunday over the issue of monarchy and the deposition of the electricity authority chief.
A parliamentary meeting that started two hours late from the scheduled time of 11 am (local time) was disrupted by lawmakers debating over the two issues. House Speaker Devraj Ghimire requested that the lawmakers take their seats to continue the session, which the opposition lawmakers did not heed. Later, lawmakers from the ruling parties rose from their seats, alleging that the opposition lawmakers were hindering the session, fearing that incidents of violence on Friday might be raised in the Parliament. In a pool video released by the Parliament secretariat, which was partially muted, ruling party lawmakers demanded punishment for those who used the word "monarchy" in the meeting. Opposition lawmaker and Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RPP) Rajendra Lingden is seen in the video gesturing to come and arrest him. RPP has been at the forefront of the pro-monarchy protest, organising multiple shows of power, at times demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy. Sunday's session was not broadcast live. The Parliament Secretariat has cited "technical issues" for the failure in broadcasting the session, which has been adjourned following the squabble. The disturbance in the parliament follows Friday's violent protest, which claimed the lives of two people - a protestor and an on-duty video journalist. Dozens of others were injured, including the security forces, following the clash, which lasted for hours. Local authorities imposed a curfew in the area, after the violence which later spread across the capital, resulting in damage to vehicles, houses, businesses, and public properties. An investigation into the issue has been demanded by both the ruling and the opposition parties. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called for a meeting with parties present in the parliament at 6 pm (local time) today to discuss recent political developments. According to officials from the prime minister's secretariat, the right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) hasn't been invited to the meeting. According to Nepal Congress Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire, "the meeting has been convened to discuss recent political developments and matters related to the functioning of Parliament and the government." The meeting follows a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the leader of the main opposition. Opposition parties, including the Maoist Centre, have been obstructing the House of Representatives and the National Assembly since Wednesday over Kulman Ghising's dismissal as managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority. The meeting is also expected to address Friday's pro-monarchy protests, which turned violent, leaving two people dead and several injured. Protesters were engaged in arson and vandalism in Kathmandu, demanding the restoration of the monarchy and Nepal's status as a Hindu state. The demonstrations were led by pro-royalist figures, including Nawaraj Subedi, controversial medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai, and senior leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Pro-republican forces have strongly condemned the violence, calling for strict action against those responsible and urging the government to form a high-level committee to investigate the incident. (ANI)
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