Maoists disrupt pre-Budget debate in Nepal House

Lawmakers from the main opposition, UCPN (Maoist) continued their obstruction of the Parliament on Wednesday, demanding investigation into what they call “election fraud,” among other things.

With the party’s obstruction of the House entering the fourth day, the pre-Budget discussion could not be held. Negotiations between the ruling parties and the main opposition failed to end the obstruction.

Speaking in Parliament, UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Agni Sapkota accused Prime Minister Sushil Koirala of not being serious in addressing the party’s concerns.

The UCPN (Maoist) has been demanding implementation of the four-point agreement signed between victorious parties and the Maoists after the second Constituent Assembly elections in November last year.

The Maoist party which had emerged as the biggest party after the first Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in 2008 suffered a big defeat. Initially, it boycotted the counting of ballots after the trends emerged that it was headed for big defeat and called for a formation of commission to investigate “fraud.”

Later it relented, settling for a parliamentary body probe. The UCPN (Maoist) wants that probe body formed and has been obstructing the Budget session since Friday.

Govt policies lack novelty, say oppositions

KATHMANDU, June 29: The opposition parties in the parliament blamed that government’s policies and programs unveiled for the next fiscal year lack novelty and unable to address the aspiration of the people.

Commenting on the government policy presented by the president Dr. Ram Baran Yadav in the parliament on Sunday, UCPN (Maoist) chair Puspa Kamal Dahal termed them to be too traditional and customary.

Dahal also claimed that upcoming budget speech, which will, by and large, be based on these guidelines, would be unable to institutionalize the new political and social achievements accomplished so far.

“It is an indication that budget is not going to be realistic to address the people’s aspirations,” said Dahal.


Even, KP Sharma Oli, parliamentary Party leader of CPN-UML, one of the coalition partners in the government, expressed his unhappiness over the newly announced policies and programs of the government.

He criticized the policies as being traditional and blamed Nepali Congress Party for ignoring coalition partners while drafting the policies for the new fiscal year.
Similarly, UCPN (M) leader and former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, said that polices lack innovativeness to address the demand of time.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party –Nepal (RPP-N) Chairman Kamal Thapa said that government’s new programs failed to impress the people.
According to Thapa, the government programs for the new fiscal year leave the people depressed instead of instilling a sense of hope in them.
However, praising the new policies of the government, NC Ram Chandra Poudel said that forthcoming budget should be able to reflect these agendas duly.

Thapa resigns as RPP Chairman

KATHMANDU, JUN 08 - Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa resigned from his post on Sunday.
Thapa tendered his resignation during the party's Central Committee meet at party office in the Capital today.
The meeting selected Pashupati Shumsher Rana as the party chairman.
Party leaders Prakash Chandra Lohani and Lokendra Bahadur Chand had shunned the CC meeting.
Earlier, Chand had declared himself as party chairman amid press meeting. He had claimed the he became the party Chairman as per the party's statute and the agreement forged in the party's General Convention.
Chand had been demanding that the party leadership should be appointed from among the senior leaders on a rotational basis for one-year term each.
After Thapa, the chairman-in-waiting was Chand, followed by Pashupati Shumsher Rana and Prakash Chandra Lohani, respectively.