Kathmandu, July 21
Speaker Onsari Gharti is holding talks with top leaders of the three major parties — the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre — in a bid to forge an understanding on the Parliament’s business schedule.
In a last-ditch bid at forging consensus, Speaker Gharti is engaging in the talks just hours before discussions on the no-confidence motion in the Parliament against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli whose government is in a grave crisis with the Centre, a ruling coalition partner, pulling out. At 10 am, Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, PM Oli and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived for the meeting, an hour after the schedule.
“In a bid to build understanding, Speaker had called three top leaders for discussions at 9 am,” Speaker’s personal secretary Basudev Sharma told Onlinekhabar, adding: The leaders (PM Oli and NC President Deuba) kept her waiting, arriving at around 10 am. Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal had arrived at Singhadurbar, the venue for the meeting, well before.
A source at the Parliament Secretariat said Speaker will convene the Parliament’s meeting as per a schedule agreed earlier if the three leaders fail to come to an agreement.
After talks with the leaders, Speaker Gharti will hold talks with members of the Parliament Secretariat.
