KATHMANDU, JULY 15
The CPN-UML has demanded immediate dismissal of the government of Koshi province and the commencement of a fresh process for formation a new government.
A meeting of the CPN-UML Secretariat held here today passed a resolution condemning the role of the ruling parties and speaker of Koshi Province Assembly in the formation of the new government under Udhhav Thapa, who represents the Nepali Congress in the Province Assembly.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Koshi government not to take any decision that will have long-term impact.
The main opposition party said it was an accepted practice in Nepal and elsewhere that the speaker remains neutral and he/ she does not take sides during the formation of the government.
The party said the ruling alliance indulged in violating the constitution, interfering in the constitutional bodies, rendering the constitutional bodies ineffective and weakening democracy.
Its role in the formation of the Thapa-led government had shown the ruling alliance's unfair activities.
The UML said formation of the new government in Koshi province with the signature of the speaker of Koshi Province Assembly was a blatant violation of the constitution, the norms of parliamentary democracy and checks and balances.
In the 93-strong Koshi PA, there were 40 UML members and six Rastriya Prajatantra Party members on one side. The remaining 46 provincial lawmakers, including the NC and the CPN-Maoist Centre had supported Thapa.
Since 47 members are required for majority in the PA, Speaker of Koshi Province Baburam Gautam had supported Thapa as chief minister.
The UML said its serious attention was drawn to the ruling alliance leaders' allegations regarding the anti-usury ordinance replacement bill. The party said the government registered the anti-usury ordinance replacement bill in the National Assembly after much delay. It said the government presented the bill in the House of Representatives on the 60th day after the anti-usury ordinance was issued.
An ordinance becomes ipso facto ineffective if a replacement bill is not passed by the Parliament within 60 days and the same thing happened with regard to the anti-usury ordinance.
The UML said discussion on the anti-usury ordinance replacement bill could not take place in the HoR because the government registered the bill after much delay, and the ruling alliance partners were divided on the bill and yet the government deflected the blame on the UML.
The party said that it had drawn the attention of the government in May towards the plight of usury victims and urged the government to pass an anti-usury law. As the anti-usury ordinance replacement bill has become ineffective, the government should bring and pass a new anti-usury bill.
