Seventh session of House of Representatives kicks off

March 7, Kathmandu: The seventh session of the House of Representatives has kicked off on Sunday.

The House meeting was called after the House of Representatives was reinstated by the Supreme Court’s verdict with an order to call the house session within 13 days from the 23^rd of February.

On the first day of the session, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lilanath Shrestha on behalf of the PM KP Sharma Oli presented the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) First Amendment ordinance -2077 BS amidst protests from the main opposition party Nepali Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, Nepali Congress lawmakers Balkrishna Khand and Puaspa Bhushal had demanded government revoke the unconstitutional ordinance related to Constitutional Council.

Earlier Lawmaker of Pachanda Madhav group of the Nepal Communist Party Bhim Rawal had said issuance of all kinds of ordinances including the one related to Constitutional Council was unconstitutional. He objected that such ordnance should not be presented in the house.

When House Speaker Agni Pd Sapkota permitted Minister Shrestha to present the ordinance in the house, the lawmakers from the group had boycotted the meeting.

Lawmaker Rawal had urged to stop the house proceeding until the government and the PM’s position was clear.

Responding to the lawmakers’ concerns, Speaker Sapkota clarified that there was a mandatory provision to give time to the government to present the ordinance in the first meeting of the house.

Amidst protest, the meeting was halted for 10. When the parties failed to find consensus on the issues, the house meeting was adjourned till the 10^th of March.