Govt, opposition sign two-point agreement to end House stalemate

KATHMANDU: A two-point agreement has been reached between the ruling coalition and the opposition to end the obstruction of the House of Representatives.

Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, chief whip of CPN-UML, and Hitraj Pandey, chief whip of CPN (Maoist Center), signed the agreement on Friday on behalf of the ruling coalition and opposition parties, respectively.

The Maoist Center has said that the House will resume now. However, other opposition parties like Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have said that they would continue House obstruction.

Opposition parties had been obstructing House proceedings since May 27, demanding the resignation of Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak and the formation of a high-level committee to probe the visit visa controversy. The two-point agreement makes no mention of Minister Lekhak and the investigation.

The agreement states that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will take its ongoing investigation into the visit visa controversy to a conclusion and that the government will provide necessary facilitation to the anti-graft body. Likewise, it adds that the government will commit to make necessary arrangements and take concrete initiatives for policy, legal and structural reforms after a necessary study of the immigration and visit visa controversy.