Kathmandu, September 29
As soon as a House of Representatives sitting begins, “emergency time” runs first, in which a few lawmakers speak. Zero hour then begins.
MPs sign up to speak during this zero hour, but are not in the House when the Speaker calls their names. This scene has repeated itself in Parliament.
The same scene repeated on Tuesday. During emergency time, Shram Sanskriti Party lawmaker Dhrubaraj Rai was the only one to speak. Zero hour then began.
During zero hour, Jagat Prasad Joshi and Jagadish Kharel (Lalitpur) spoke. Speaker Dev Prasad Aryal then called the third name, Jagadish Kharel (Dolakha), to speak. But he was not present. The Speaker called his name three times. He was not in the chamber.
The Speaker then called other names, and lawmakers took their turns raising their subjects. Next came the turn of another House member, Dharma Raj KC. He, too, was not in the chamber. The Speaker called his name three times.
The Speaker called another MP’s name, and other lawmakers kept speaking. Next came the turn of MP Pukar Bam. The Speaker called his name. He, too, was not in the chamber and did not speak.
The lawmakers who signed up to speak during zero hour in the House of Representatives on Tuesday but were absent from the chamber, Kharel, KC and Bam, are all lawmakers of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party.
Parliamentary practice allows the Speaker to call a lawmaker’s name up to three times to let them speak. If they do not respond after three calls, that turn ends, and the Speaker lets another person speak or moves the House’s agenda forward.
Rule 15 of the House of Representatives Rules of Procedure covers provisions on zero and special time, under which the Speaker may set aside zero and special time to raise contemporary issues.
If a member seeks time by pressing the buzzer over a serious incident or issue arising between the previous sitting and the one about to begin, the Speaker may make emergency time available.
There is a provision requiring the concerned minister to respond within seven days in the House to issues raised during emergency, zero and special time. However, some lawmakers sign up to speak in the House but do not show up.
