A Good Beginning

Though a good initiative, the parliamentary debate fails to give relief to common people

By A CORRESPONDENT

Leader of the main opposition in the House of Representatives, Madhav Kumar Nepal, was at his best while taking on the government for its recent decision to raise prices in a range of goods and services. "This decision is anti-people as it has made common people's lives more difficult," said UML general secretary Nepal, addressing the House on Monday. Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai would not agree. " The prices had to be raised due to depreciation of Nepalese currency against the US dollar and rise in price of petroleum products in the international market," said the Prime Minister, in his characteristic style. "Even Mr. Nepal knows this. But he is just playing his opposition role," he added.

House of Representatives : UML's showdown

Whatever it may be, the main opposition's initiative to summon the special session rather than take to the streets is seen as a positive move. "We should appreciate UML's move to raise people's issues in the Parliament rather than going to the streets," said Purna Man Shakya, an advocate and acting President of the Society for Constitutional and Parliamentary Exercise (SCOPE). "Of course, the political parties need to rise above their partisan interests and try to find out ways to a national problem like price rise."

Political parties, however, seemed sticking to their guns. In the Monday's meeting, a total of five political parties presented their amendments to thesy resolution registered by the UML. The UML, in its resolution, has demanded the parliament give directives to the government to withdraw recent price hike in petroleum products, electricity tariff and chemical fertilizer. While the opposition parties supported the basic premise in UML's resolution to withdraw the price hike, the ruling Nepali Congress, in its amendment, has asked the government to take measures to lessen impact of recent price hike upon people and initiate reforms process in the management of the state-owned enterprises.

Though the special session came under shadow of on-going conflict within the ruling party (See: Cover Story), it has not lost its significance. In the past five years, special sessions had been convened for six times to register no-confidence motion against the then governments. "This is the first time that a non-political issue is being discussed in the parliament. So, the political parties should allow their members freedom to express their views without being confined to partisan interests," said Shakya.

As the resolution and amendments were to be put on vote on Wednesday, the amendment by the ruling party was most likely to be passed. But, whether the government really takes initiative to lessen people's burden or will continue passing the burden on to people of the inefficiencies in SOEs remains to be seen.