Kathmandu, October 7
The 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is underway, with House of Representatives member Rabin Mahato participating as Nepal’s young parliamentarian.
Mahato represented Nepal at the Youth Parliament Forum on the conference’s second day.
He has registered his candidacy at the forum on Nepal’s behalf. While doing so, he called on parliamentarians from all countries to support his candidacy.
The IPU conference is being held in the city of Arusha in Tanzania, Africa.
Addressing the conference, Mahato noted that young people are very poorly represented in parliaments around the world and described the composition of Nepal’s current House of Representatives. He said 43 percent of the members of Nepal’s parliament are young parliamentarians.
Speaker Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal also spoke about parliamentary inclusion in Nepal when he addressed the 153rd IPU Assembly.
According to Aryal, Nepal’s House of Representatives has 35 percent women, 51 percent from various inclusive groups, five persons with disabilities and 37 percent young parliamentarians under 40.
He added that gender and sexual minority communities are also represented in parliament, and said that in this sense too Nepal’s federal parliament is progressive on inclusion.
Aryal said proportionate, meaningful and effective representation of different communities, classes and groups strengthens citizens’ sense of ownership of state institutions and public trust in the democratic system.
Mahato also described the current state of the federal parliament at the forum.
He also raised the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli floods in Nepal and the risks they posed to the health sector.
He also drew the attention of young parliamentarians to issues including the role young people should play in crisis management.
