The main opposition CPN-UML will boycott the all-party meeting called by Speaker Agni Sapkota Monday afternoon.
UML Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai confirmed with Setopati that the party will boycott the meeting. "Our gripe is why should others be called in the meeting related to UML. We will not attend the meeting where leaders of unrelated parties are invited," he stated.
The main opposition party has been obstructing the House accusing Speaker Sapkota of splitting the party. Party leaders have also been publicly slamming Sapkota with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli even moving the Supreme Court against him.
Speaker Sapkota has called the all-party meeting to resume House proceedings.
"Speaker now has only two alternatives. He should either issue notice of the lawmakers we expelled or pave the way (for another speaker)," Bhattarai pointed.
Speaker Sapkota had sent a letter to the Election Commission informing that UML has 121 HoR members and 33 National Assembly members despite the party writing to him about expulsion of 14 HoR members.
UML had expelled 14 HoR members of the Khanal-Nepal faction including Madhav Kumar Nepal on August 17 accusing them of trying to split the party. The faction subsequently applied for registration of a new party the next day with the Election Commission.
The lawmakers expelled from the House included Nepal, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Mukunda Neupane, Ram Kumari Jhakri, Kalyani Khadka, Laxmi Kumari Chaudhary, Nira Devi Jairu, Pushpa Kumari Karna, Sarala Yadav, Kalila Khatun, Birodh Khatiwada, Krishna Lal Maharjan, Bhawani Khapung and Met Mani Chaudhary.
UML lawmakers then put pressure on Sapkota to implement the decision by issuing notice about their expulsion but to no avail even as Nepal and other expelled lawmakers registered a new party in accordance to the ordinance brought to make splitting of parties easier.
The act about political parties requires the speaker to implement expulsion of lawmakers by issuing notice about expulsion within 15 days. But Speaker Sapkota sat on the letter sent by UML about expulsion of 14 lawmakers including Madhav Kumar Nepal for 13 days and then decided to not implement the decision pointing that the Election Commission has already registered a new party under Nepal.
