Kathmandu, December 15
It is not only the main opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba who is obstructing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s plan of appointing various officials at constitutional bodies.
His efforts of nominating the officials failed again on Tuesday morning as Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, also a former member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, decided not to attend the Constitutional Council meeting called to make the nominations.
It has been learned that Sapkota, who was close to the party’s another chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal when he was a party member before his election to the top parliamentary position, is not happy with the prime minister of late. Currently, Oli and Dahal are at odds over various issues in the party.
Sapkota has cited the lack of coordination with the council chairman (the PM) and other members for his decision to ‘boycott’ the meeting. “Neither was there sufficient homework for the meeting,” a source in his secretariat informs.
Earlier on Sunday, the main opposition leader Deuba had decided not to show up citing his participation in the decision-making could be misinterpreted as the ruling party is virtually divided these days.
The constitution has authorised the six-member council comprising the PM, the chief justice, the speaker, the National Assembly chairperson, the deputy speaker, and the main opposition leader to nominate officials of constitutional bodies. The law has it that there must be four members besides the PM present for a meeting. Because the deputy speaker’s position is vacant now, one member’s absence means the meeting cannot make any decision.
