Kathmandu, August 26
Prime Minister Balen Shah is set to face questions from lawmakers on issues including Nepal’s borders, nationalism and the government’s working style during a direct question-and-answer session in the House of Representatives today.
The questions have already been submitted to the Parliament Secretariat. However, their contents will not be made public until the question-and-answer session begins, according to the Secretariat.
The names of the lawmakers who will question the prime minister have been made public, but they have been asked not to disclose the subjects or details of their questions to the media or the public.
Parliament officials said the arrangement was made to ensure that the question-and-answer session remains substantive and spontaneous.
“Questions have been registered on nationalism, border-related issues, the government’s activities and its working style,” a source said. “The lawmakers have registered questions focused on specific issues.”
The direct question-and-answer session with the prime minister is provided for under Rule 56 of the House of Representatives Regulations. The rule allows the Speaker to allocate the first hour of a House meeting on one day during the first week of every month for questions on important matters directly related to the prime minister or his area of responsibility.
Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has scheduled the session with Prime Minister Balen Shah for Wednesday.
Aryal had invited lawmakers wishing to question the prime minister to register their questions by August 21. A total of 11 lawmakers have registered questions.
Among them are Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmakers Samikshya Baskota, Krishna Hari Budhathoki and Amaresh Kumar Singh.
From the main opposition Nepali Congress, Chief Whip Basana Thapa and lawmaker Gita Gurung are set to question the prime minister.
CPN-UML Chief Whip Ain Bahadur Mahar and lawmaker Ganesh Singh Thagunna have also registered questions.
Nepali Communist Party lawmakers Barshaman Pun and Prem Kumar Hamal are among those scheduled to question Shah.
Shram Sanskriti Party parliamentary leader Harka Sampang and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chief Whip Khushbu Oli have also registered questions.
Rule 58 of the House regulations requires lawmakers wishing to question the prime minister to provide the Speaker with written information about the subject of their questions at least three days before the meeting.
The questions were therefore submitted by August 21, in line with the parliamentary procedure.
