Parties reach consensus to end House impasse

KATHMANDU: Political parties have agreed to end the House impasse.

The consensus was reached during a meeting of the national parties represented in the House of Representatives, held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday morning.

Chief Whips of seven national parties in the Lower House have signed a two-point agreement. According to the agreement, individuals involved in gold smuggling through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will face charges based on the investigation conducted by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police. Likewise, the parties have agreed to form an inquiry commission under the Inquiry Commission Act for an independent investigation into gold smuggling through TIA. The commission will also provide necessary recommendations for amending laws and implementing structural changes to control smuggling.

The main opposition, CPN-UML, has been obstructing House sessions for nearly a month now, demanding the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to probe the issue of gold smuggling.

Chief Whips of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and Janamat Party have all endorsed the agreement.