NC opposes govt’s decision to issue ordinances

KATHMANDU: The main opposition party, the Nepali Congress (NC), has expressed strong opposition after the government recommended to the President to issue two ordinances.

A cabinet meeting on Monday decided to recommend to the President to issue ordinances related to the Constitutional Council and Cooperatives. The ordinances have already been forwarded to the Office of the President.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, NC Spokesperson Devaraj Chalise accused the government of moving toward the centralization of power. “Resorting to ordinances despite having a clear majority in Parliament is a dangerous sign of power centralization,” the statement said.

The party said it has taken serious note of the government’s move to prorogue Parliament and enact laws through ordinances. “Such a practice is highly objectionable from the perspective of democratic values, parliamentary norms, and constitutional procedures. This is not merely a procedural flaw but a clear encroachment by the executive on the legislative authority of parliament,” the statement said. “This trend has weakened the fundamental essence of the rule of law and exposed the government’s lack of trust in parliament.”

President Ram Chandra Paudel last week postponed the session of both houses of the federal parliament scheduled for April 30. The summer session of parliament deliberates on the budget for the new fiscal year.

The government is constitutionally bound to present the budget for the new fiscal year, which begins in mid-July, on May 28.