Kathmandu, Sep 8 (PTI) Nepal’s main Opposition party CPN-UML, led by ousted prime minister K P Sharma Oli, on Wednesday obstructed the new session of the House of Representatives, demanding dismissal of 14 lawmakers who had left the party to join dissident Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The ninth session of the lower house of Parliament was briefly adjourned twice following obstruction by CPN-UML (Unified Marxist Leninist) on the first day of the new session.
The party obstructed the Parliament proceedings demanding dismissal of the 14 lawmakers formerly belonging to the CPN-UML, who betrayed to form a new party under the leadership of Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Madhav Nepal quit the then ruling CPN-UML to form a new party under the name of CPN-Unified Socialist, which has now become the fourth largest party in Parliament. His faction has already made a decision to join Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s coalition government.
The recognition of Madhav Nepal-led CPN (Unified Socialist) party brings to end a long-standing feud between him and former prime minister Oli in the UML.
The UML had recommended to the Speaker of the House Agni Prasad Sapkota for action against 14 lawmakers, including Madhav Nepal, who backed Nepali Congress President Deuba.
The party had written to the Speaker last month to take action against these lawmakers before the Parliament session starts for violating the party’s discipline.
The UML lawmakers picketed the rostrum and chanted slogans against Speaker Sapkota for not taking action against the 14 lawmakers, according to party sources.
Earlier, UML Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai had alleged that Speaker Sapkota had acted as an accomplice to split the UML.
He alleged that the UML had faced a split after Sapkota did not take action against the 14 lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand tabled Second Amendment Bill relating to Political Party in the third meeting of the Parliament despite obstruction by the main Opposition.
The amendment bill is related to provision regarding splitting political parties.
The Parliament has been adjourned till Friday.