HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Twentieth House session ends
Important bills aproved, says Deuba

BY RITU RAJ SUBEDI

Kathmandu, Oct. 18: The 20th session of the Parliament has come to an end. At the end of today’s session Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat read out a message from the Royal Palace. In the message His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev announced the conclusion of the 20th session of the parliament from 20:00 hours today.

At today’s session leaders of all the political parties in the parliament reviewed the outcome and the achievements of the 20th parliamentary session which has lasted for 116 days. The House of Representatives had sat for 74 days and witnessed 85 meetings taking 269 hours and 25 minutes. The parliament also passed 22 bills, which included four new bills and 18 from the previous session. During the session there were 16 statements and two notices of public importance.

The 20th session had started in the aftermath of the Royal Palace incident with His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ascending the throne as the country’s new king, and the change of guards in the government.

Speaking at the concluding session of the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the 20th session has been successful in tackling the major issues of the country.

"This session has approved several important Bills," Prime Minister Deuba said and added that some other bills, which have faced disagreements among the political parties, would be addressed through national consensus in the coming days.

The Prime Minister also said the government would bring the Bills on curbing corruption and on women on the basis of a wide national consensus in the next session.

Deuba also informed that the government would systematize the provision of the Parliamentary Fund through legal procedure.

Premier Deuba further noted that there have been improvements in the law and order situation of the country although a desirable result was yet to be achieved.

The government is sincerely committed to end the murder and violence in the country, he said and added, "The solution to the Maoist problem will only be through talks, not through violence."

Drawing the final curtain on the 20th session, Speaker of the House of the Representatives Taranath Ranbhat said there have been important achievements but they have been largely overshadowed by the Maoists problem.

He, however, pointed out that the country is passing through an adverse situation because of the Maoist issue, incidents of the past several months and the existing anomalies like corruption and people’s expectation to get rid of them.

But he noted that there have been some positive signs. "The ruling as well as opposition parties have forged consensus on several important issues and are unanimous in their voices to resolve the Maoists problem and curbing corruption. This culture of consensus and understanding should be a guideline for us in the future," noted Ranabhat. He also said that we (the parliament) have been spending more of its time and resource on discussions. Thus we should be able to better manage the time and resources.

Dwelling on the government-Maoist talks, Speaker said that the talks should be result-oriented and ensure a sense of peace and security among the people.

He said he was always for talks as the only means to resolve the Maoists issue and after two rounds of talks already completed, the third round of talks would head towards resolving the issue. But he asked the Maoists to drop their demand of republic and that called their demand of the abolition of the present Constitution and for a constitutional assembly for the formation of a new constitution as immature and impractical and is unsuitable and irrevalent to the country’s social and cultural aspect.

The Speaker also urged the Maoists to come into the mainstream politics by respecting the sovereignty of the nation and relinquishing their violent activities. "If they are truly nationalist they should shun the bullets and choose ballot."

Expressing the hope of the success of the government-Maoist talks, speaker said that the Maoists would participate in the elections. "For this, the government should ensure the impartial, peaceful and fair elections in the country"

However, leader of the main opposition party and General Secretary of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal was very critical of the government and expressed his dissatisfaction over the achievement of the current session of the Parliament.

The opposition leader said that this session had deprived women of the their rights to parental property. He blamed the government of being cowardice by not granting women equal right to property.

He said that this session could not do anything to curb the widespread corruption and take stern action against the corrupt in the country. Citing an example, Nepal said the government could not dare to impeach the corrupt judges.

"The amendment of the Constitution is the need of the nation and has been widely realized," Nepal remarked.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala did not agree with the opposition leader’s opinions.

Speaking at the House of Representatives, Koirala, "It can not be said that the 20th session has made no achievements."

NC president said that the House witnessed a lot of discussions among the MPs on important issues, which, he said, are no mean achievements.

Koirala said that the government’s first priority should be the Maoist issue and giving relief to the victims of the Maoist violent activities.

Alleging the Maoists for wandering aimlessly, the NC Chief remarked that the attack on the constitutional monarchy is the attack on the democracy and formulating a new constitution would be an assault to the present constitution.

Similarly, RPP’s leader in the parliament Surya Bahadur Thapa commented that the multi-party democracy was passing through a critical phase.

"In the name of government-Maoist talks, the confusions and instabilities should not be prolonged in the country," stated the RPP Chairman.

On the Maoist issue, KC said that there is no way the Maoists could achieve their goal of establishing a people’s government through armed struggle and they know it. So, he said, the Maoists are also wanting to come within the present polity and the government should understand this.

Lilamani Pokharel, leader of the United People’s Front said that the parliament has becoming helpless even after completing its 20 sessions in tackling outstanding issues such as corruption and mismanagement..

Narayanman Bijuchhu, MP of the Nepal Worker and Peasant Party said that session failed to meet the aspirations and needs of the people.

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