KATHMANDU, July 25: The meeting of the National Assembly (NA) has been adjourned for Wednesday after the ruling and opposition lawmakers could not agree on who should speak first.
After NA Chairman Ganesh Timalsina allowed ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) lawmaker Khimlal Bhattarai to speak first during Tuesday's meeting, lawmakers of the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) opposed the move demanding time for them first as per the understanding reached during the business advisory committee meeting of the upper house earlier on the same day.
The ruling party lawmakers also rose from their seats and argued that they should speak first in the meeting. The meeting witnessed trade of barbs from the ruling and opposition lawmakers as NA Chairman Timalsina failed to convince both sides. The NA chairman then adjourned the meeting for the next day without letting any of the sides to put forth their views.
Tuesday's meeting continued unmanaged for over 20 minutes as lawmakers from the both NCP and NC obstructed the proceedings.
“We don't know how Chairman Timilsina changed the decision by letting NCP lawmakers speak first against the understanding reached in the business advisory meeting,” said NC lawmaker Badri Pandey.
NC leaders claimed that opposition should have been allowed to put forth its views as the opposition lawmakers had already informed about their issues at the advisory committee meeting.
NC parliamentary party leader Surendra Pandey demanded that they should be allowed to put forth their statements at the meeting first as the parliament is believed to be a platform of the opposition party.
Another NC lawmaker Sarita Prasain accused the NCP lawmakers of suppressing the voice of the opposition by obstructing the House meeting. Meanwhile ruling party lawmaker Bhattarai claimed that the opposition shouldn't obstruct the House meeting over the issues.