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.