File Photo/HimalPress
LUMBINI: The Lumbini Province Government, which took shape after a lot of political wrangling, is facing difficulty in summoning a meeting of the province assembly.
It took Chief Minister Lila Giri almost a month to form the government as the coalition partner, CPN (Maoist Center), refused to join without getting the finance portfolio. Now, fringe parties like Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP), which supported Giri to form the government, are threatening to withdraw their support. As a result, the government has not been able to conduct any business in the province assembly.
The province assembly meeting, which last convened on February 3, has become uncertain. Interestingly, the province government has not started a discussion about the next assembly meeting. As a result, the Chief Minister and ministers of the province government are attending unproductive events like inaugurating programs of different organizations.
Secretary of Lumbini Province Assembly, Durlabh Kumar Pun Magar, said that the government was yet to provide business to the province assembly. “Since the cabinet only recently got full shape, the province assembly session will begin soon,” he added.
Speaker Tul Bahadur Gharti has said he will make the province assembly effective by taking a leaf from the previous term of the province assembly. “I will ensure that adequate discussions are held while drafting laws. I will work to create a conducive environment for that,” he told media persons in Butwal a few days ago. “Having said this, I am aware that it will be difficult to conduct assembly sessions in this term.”
The province assembly’s functioning has been affected due to the impact of politics at the central level. The impending presidential election has also affected the functioning of the province assembly, according to leaders.
Basiuddin Khan, a province assembly member of the main opposition Nepali Congress and a member of the Business Advisory Committee of the province assembly, said the government had to take the initiative to make the province assembly effective. “It is ironic that the province assembly, which should be functioning after the election of the province assembly members, is not functioning because of the government’s failure to provide business,” he added.
The province assembly has even failed to form thematic committees which are often referred to as the ‘mini-parliament’.
According to him, the government has not taken any initiative to make the province assembly active when there should be an in-depth discussion on issues such as market monitoring, inflation, and the black market.
The province assembly has even failed to form thematic committees which are often referred to as the ‘mini-parliament’. The thematic subject committees monitor, regulate, and provide directions for the actions taken by the government.
There are plans to set up Finance, Industry and Tourism; Province Affairs and Law; Social Development Committee; Public Accounts Committee; Physical Infrastructure and Development Committee; and Agriculture, Forestry and Environment Committee.
Government Spokesperson Chetnarayan Acharya said that since the Council of Ministers has taken full shape, the government will provide business to the parliament in a few days.
Fringe parties threatening Chief Minister
Differences in power-sharing are one of the reasons that have made the functioning of the province assembly uncertain. As the three parties prepare to disrupt the province assembly session, the government is trying to create a conducive environment first.
The fringe parties, which gave a vote of confidence to Chief Minister Giri, are dissatisfied as they have not been given any responsibility in the government. A province minister said the government was making efforts to include them in the thematic committees. However, Chief Minister Giri has failed to convince the coalition partners to this end.
Santosh Pandey, the leader of LSP in the province assembly, said his party would withdraw support extended to the Giri-led government. “We have decided to withdraw our support as Chief Minister didn’t live up to our commitments,” he added
The province assembly has 29 members from CPN-UML, 27 from Nepali Congress, 10 (including one independent member) from CPN (Maoist Center), four each from Rastriya Prajatantra Party and NUP, three each of LSP, JSP and Janamat Party, and two of CPN (Unified Socialist). There is one member from Rastriya Janamorcha, and an independent member.
