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Kathmandu Tuesday August 28, 2001 Bhadra 12, 2058.
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Protests against land reforms
delay budget debate
By Binaj Gurubacharya
KATHMANDU, Aug 27 - With no truce in sight
between the government and a section of the opposition, the continued disruption of the
House of Representatives is threatening to further push back the already delayed debate on
the fiscal budget.
Nearly a dozen lawmakers from the Nepal
Sadbhawana Party (NSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) once again shouted
anti-government slogans in the House Monday forcing Speaker Taranath Ranabhat to adjourn
the House.
These lawmakers protesting the government’s
proposed land reforms, including setting ceiling on land ownership and freeze on all land
transactions, have continued their protest despite continued pleas by Prime Minister Sher
Bahadur Deuba and Speaker Ranabhat to cease their protest and throw their support behind
the government’s policy.
Besides disrupting regular scheduled businesses
like presentation and discussion of Bills and government proposals, the protests are
threatening to delay the passage of the fiscal budget.
The debate on the fiscal budget, being conducted
on the basis of each of ministries and budget allocated to them through the Appropriation
Bill, was stalled just when it reached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives.
"The continued protests have created a
situation of uncertainty in the Parliament and the country," said Tek Bahadur
Chokhyal, Chief Whip of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC).
"These parties are only trying to gain
political mileage from these protests and the tendency to disrupt Parliament for every and
any issue could start a negative trend," he said adding that the government was
prepared to shrink the discussion if needed to get it through on time.
Though the government and the administration
have been able to function for the time being through the passage of the Accounts Bill
that enables the government to borrow and spend, it would need to get the Appropriation
Bill through the Parliament during the present session, also known as the Budget Session.
And get a royal assent to be able fully allocate the budget as specified in the Budget
estimates.
Right now the government and planners have not
been able to get new projects rolling and expand the old ones without the release on the
fiscal budget. Usually, such projects are implemented and process initiated only after the
Finance Ministry releases the fiscal budget.
The Accounts Bill allows the government to spend
only about Rs. 28.5 billion maximum. This would be less than a third of the Rs. 99.79
billion budget estimate presented by the government. There is less than two months left
before the Dasain festival begins on October 17. The Session is prorogued weeks before
that giving the lawmakers ample time to head back to their constituencies for the
festivities.
This delay in allocation of the budget is also
totally against the agreement between the government and the opposition parties reached
last year when deadlock between the two sides was broken after a series of agreements.
These agreements included passing of the budget before the fiscal year begins around July
16.
But most importantly, the two sides agreed that
the budget would be discussed at the parliamentary Finance Committee that has
representation from most parties before it is brought to the House and changes made if
needed.
Last year, the budget session had convened
nearly a month and half earlier than in the past. The reason, according to the government,
was to present and endorse the budget estimates for the fiscal year without the
traditional delay in allocation of funds.
This year, the protests by the two opposition
parties is leading the House to a point of uncertainty with both sides unable to iron out
the differences.
A meeting between representatives of RPP and the
NC team led by Ram Chandra Poudel today yield no agreement. Poudel asked for suggestions
to be included in the proposed Bill to implement land reforms and the RPP side told them
they were not ready with their suggestions.
Prime Minister Deuba has called RPP and NSP
leaders for talks to resolve the deadlock on Tuesday. The House is slated to resume on
Wednesday afternoon.
"We don’t know how long our protest
will be. It will all depend on the government," said RPP’s Pashupati Sumshere
Rana.
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