Federal Parliament Session: Review of the Current Session and Directions for Future Improvements
Image Source, Nepal Photo Library
President Ramchandra Paudel has announced the conclusion of the current session of both houses of the Federal Parliament starting from midnight on Friday.
As per the recommendation made by the Council of Ministers on Ashoj 13, the President has ended the session effective from 12 midnight of Ashoj 16, according to his office.
According to the Council of Ministers’ recommendation, the President is exercising his constitutional authority to convene and dissolve parliamentary sessions.
The second session of the House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Budget Session, commenced on Baisakh 28.
Including the meetings scheduled for Friday, the Secretariat of the Federal Parliament reported that the House of Representatives held 67 meetings, while the National Assembly reached 51 meetings during this session.
What is the Status of the Bills?
A spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat, Ekram Giri, informed that a total of 11 bills were passed during this session.
According to the Secretariat, 36 bills were registered during the second session, with 14 bills currently under consideration by parliamentary committees.
Three bills each are under review in the International Relations and Tourism Committee and the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee.
Two bills each are being examined by the Finance Committee, Women and Social Affairs Committee, Industry and Commerce Committee, and the Labor and Consumer Interests Committee.
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee are each reviewing one bill, the Parliament Secretariat added. Additionally, 11 bills have undergone theoretical discussions.
Officials from the Secretariat claim that ministers have responded to questions raised during meetings, while members have continuously engaged in discussions regarding public representation.
“From the perspectives of lawmaking, oversight, and public representation, this session appears to have been productive,” said spokesperson Giri.
Prime Minister Under Intense Questioning
During this session, opposition party MPs persistently raised questions regarding Prime Minister Shah’s frequent absences.
When seeking clarification on remarks made by the Prime Minister concerning matters related to India, his absence led opposition members to disrupt the meeting.
The session resumed only after Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal responded to the queries on the Prime Minister’s behalf.
In Thursday’s meeting, Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Bishmaraj Angdembe expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s apparent disregard for parliamentary proceedings.
He criticized the Prime Minister for not providing any briefings to the parliament before and after his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly.
“Informing Parliament before attending the General Assembly is not only a tradition but also legitimizes parliamentary concerns. This strengthens the Prime Minister and balances parliamentary accountability with international diplomatic responsibilities,” he said.
“Unfortunately, he neither informed Parliament beforehand nor provided any updates upon his return. Should he continue to disregard parliamentary tradition, it could backfire in the near future. He should consider this moving forward.”
Meanwhile, MPs from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party highlighted the Prime Minister’s character of focusing more on action than speeches.
Image Source, Nepal Photo Library
‘Neglect Was Apparent’
Several experts on parliamentary affairs have observed that the current Prime Minister and ministers evidently neglect parliamentary proceedings, which is also reflected in their frequent absences.
“When the Prime Minister neglects Parliament, ministers are likely to follow suit. Accountability to Parliament should be inspired primarily by the Prime Minister. This would motivate leaders of other parties to attend Parliament regularly,” stated Haribahadur Thapa, parliamentary affairs expert and editor of Barakhari.com.
“However, the absence of the Prime Minister has fostered a growing tendency to disregard Parliament. Accountability has been notably low even though he presides over Parliament.”
During this session, the Speaker had to issue a “ruling” urging the Prime Minister to respond to queries, which is a rare occurrence in Nepal’s parliamentary history.
“It is not a favorable situation when the Speaker is compelled to intervene and issue rulings,” he added.
He cautioned that neglecting the Parliament, which represents the people, could ultimately harm the Prime Minister himself.
“The Prime Minister appears more engaged with social media, but continued involvement there raises questions. As pressure mounts from all sides, even if the Prime Minister addresses Parliament tomorrow to reassure the public, regaining trust might be challenging,” he added.
“Promptly responding reduces doubts, whereas failure to respond increases suspicions.”
He recommended the Prime Minister engage in dialogue before suspicions grow, suggesting that “Parliament is the most effective platform to build public trust.”
According to Thapa, while new MPs show enthusiasm during debates, their engagement in questions and proposals is somewhat lacking. The opposition’s role also appears less robust.
Nevertheless, he anticipates that the presentation and participation of MPs may be different in the next session.
“There is potential for MPs to come more maturely prepared with more questions and proposals in the upcoming session,” he remarked.
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