DANG, Feb 3: Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the National Medical Education Bill 2075 should not be made the agenda of protest as it was endorsed by the House of Representatives in a due process.
Speaking at an press conference organized by Reporters’ Club Nepal Dang chapter on Sunday, he argued that the document was passed by the parliamentary committee at the consent of opposition following intense discussions.
He said that it would be enough if the opposition put its dissent over the bill.
“Contrary to the expectations, the opposition chose to obstruct the House, instead,” he added.
He accused the main opposition Nepali Congress of trying to politicize the issue.
On a different note, he shared that works to set up a temporary depot at Tarigaun Airport were delayed due to bureaucracy. The supplies minister and secretary have already approved the proposal to set up the depot; it was delayed due to lack of its implementation by employees. The process towards that end would begin soon, he added.
]]>KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) leader Gagan Thapa Thursday expressed his dissatisfaction toward Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara’s role at the parliament
After the opposition NC obstructed the House on Tuesday over the issues of controversial National Medical Education Bill and two hospitals named after late Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala, the Speaker Mahara adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes before putting off until Friday.
The Members of Parliament resorted to scuffle when Mahara requested Minister for Education, Science and Technology Girirajmani Pokharel to table bill at the parliament while the NC protest was on. The NC lawmakers had blocked the minister from reaching the rostrum who is being escorted by Nepal Communist Party lawmakers.
The NC has accused the Speaker of running the parliament in interest of the ruling party.
“A Speaker should remain neutral inside the parliament. But we haven’t found this in the Speaker,” fumed former Health Minister Thapa at an interaction program organized by Reporters Club Nepal.
“The Speaker has acted going against the House’s norms and values.”
“Mahara should take the middle path instead of following orders from a party.”
The ruling party is preparing to push the Bill for endorsement when the parliament meets Friday afternoon.
Thapa added that the NC will not tolerate if the government tries to endorse the bill forcefully in the next meeting.
“The government can look for a solution finding a ground for agreement with Dr KC and the opposition party. But if the government uses power to endorse the bill and enforce its decisions, NC will not keep silent tomorrow,” he added.
NC has accused the government of endorsing the bill going against the agreement forged with Dr Govinda KC, who is on his 16th hunger strike for the past two weeks demanding reforms in medical education sector. But the ruling party has asserted that the bill was prepared following a thorough parliamentary process.
Leader Thapa also urged the government approve the proposal for Girija Prasad Koirala Respiratory Hospital and Sushil Koirala Cancer Hospital to be kept under federal government arguing that the tussle was not about the hospitals but the existence of late leaders.
]]>
KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Mr. Wu Yingjie, Secretary General of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Party Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has called on Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament, Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, in Lhasa on Friday evening.
During the meeting, Mr. Wu Yingjie congratulated the Speaker for being elected to the post.
He also expressed his appreciation to Nepal for sending a high level delegation led by the Speaker to the Fourth China-Tibet international Tourism and Culture Expo 2018.
Mr. Wu mentioned that China and Nepal have been enjoying very cordial relations and recalled the exchange of high level visits, including the visits by the President of Nepal, Prime Ministers of Nepal and other high level dignitaries in the recent years to China, including Tibet.
He noted that China’s Tibet and Nepal share similar culture, geography and religion and thanked Nepal for supporting One-China Policy.
The TAR CPC Secretary General mentioned that the Chinese development model has kept people at the centre and highlighted the importance attached to poverty alleviation in China as well as the success of such programs. He added that the central government of China, including Mr. Xi Jinping, the President of China, has paid great attention to the development of Tibet.
Mr. Wu Yingjie also told that the TAR Government will provide help to increase tourism and foreign investment in Nepal.
In the meeting, Speaker Mahara thanked the TAR Government for the invitation and warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for him and his delegation.
While recalling that he had attended the Opening Ceremony of the Third China-Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo in 2016, he expressed his happiness to be in TAR again for the fourth Expo as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Nepal.
He mentioned the cordial relations existing between Nepal and China, and the importance of TAR as providing solid foundations for this relationship based on family relations, social, cultural, religious and geographical links and similarities with Nepal.
The Federal Parliament Speaker noted that Nepal and China have adhered to the five principles of peaceful coexistence or the principles of Panchasheel in their bilateral relations. He reiterated the support of Nepal to One-China Policy.
Noting that China has achieved tremendous socio-economic development, Speaker remarked that Nepal hopes to get the benefits.
In light of the fact that China has put forward the visionary Belt and Road Initiative to bring the benefits of development to the wider region of the world including its neighborhood and the fact that Nepal has joined this initiative, he hoped that necessary infrastructures would be built to further increase connectivity between Nepal and China, and to promote trade, tourism and other interactions for the benefit of both countries.
He also added that Nepal has overcome long political transition by promulgating a new constitution based on federal system, by successfully holding elections to the three tiers of government envisioned by the new constitution and forming new governments. This has created conducive environment for foreign investment in Nepal and Speaker urged the Government of TAR and China to increase investment in Nepal as the situation now is conducive for foreign investment in Nepal.
He also extended an invitation to Mr. Wu Yingjie to visit Nepal in convenient time in the future.
Speaker observes Consulate General
Meantime, Speaker Mahara, who is currently on a visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China to participate in the China-Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo, observed the Consulate General of Nepal in Lhasa on Friday evening.
On the occasion, Consul General Gobinda Bahadur Karkee welcomed the Speaker and his delegation, and briefed it on the condition of the Consulate General and the Nepal-Tibet trade policy and possibilities.
Speaker Mahara opined that Nepal could take much benefit from trade with Tibet which adjoins Nepal. The Speaker is scheduled to inaugurate the Nepalese Consulate General in Lhasa on Sunday. RSS
]]>
KATHMANDU, Sept 7: Speaker of Federal Parliament Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Friday left for Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet autonomous region of China, on his five-day official visit to China.
Mahara is travelling to China at the invitation of his counterpart Wang Yi.
The Speaker is scheduled to participate in ‘the fourth China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo’ scheduled for today itself. Besides, he is set to hold discussion with Chief of Tibet government on various aspects of mutual welfare and bilateral relations between Nepal and Tibet, said the Speaker’s Secretariat.
He will also lay the foundation stone for Nepali Consular Office in Lhasa, and inaugurate Miteri bridges at Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani. Also, he will address the meeting of the trans-Himalayan Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum.
The delegation led by Speaker Mahara to China includes Communist Party of Nepal’s lawmaker Shanti Maya Tamang Pakhrin, Nepali Congress’s Rangmati Shahi, Uma Shankar Arabariya of the Federal Socialist Forum, Ekbal Miya of the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, Durga Poudel of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Secretary at the Federal Parliament Secretariat Bharat Raj Gautam and a representative from the Speaker’s Secretariat. Mahara is scheduled to return home on September 11. RSS
]]>
KATHMANDU, Aug 24: A resolution motion to end violence against women has been presented before the House of Representatives.
Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara presented the motion in the lower house session on Friday. Earlier, 22 lawmakers had signed on the document and registered it at the parliament secretariat on July 5.
The motion has sought an end to all forms of physical, mental, sexual and psychological and other sorts of violence against women as Nepal is a signatory to the Convention on All Sorts of Violence against Women (CEDAW) and other international treaties.
The proposal demanded a direction to the government to come up with a public awareness campaign against physical assaults on women for not bringing dowry as per the expectations, superstitions, and other sorts of exploitations as well as include curriculum aimed at bringing social justice and equity, by including these issues in the school texts books.
Lawmakers Binda Pandey, Pushpa Bhusal, Rekha Sharma, Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, Niru Pal, Maina Kumari Bhandari, Parbati Kumari Bishankhe, Bina Kumari Sherestha, Laxami Kumari Chaudhary, Nawraj Rawat, Tulsi Thapa and Amrita Thapa were those making initiations to register the document at the Secretariat. RSS
]]>
KATHMANDU, May 25: Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has drawn the attention of the House of Representatives to the low attendance of lawmakers in the House sessions.
The Speaker raised this issue in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Friday as the parliament continues discussions on the government’s policies and programs.
He said that some newspapers have brought out the topic of lawmakers’ low attendance in the parliamentary deliberations.
He also called for the government’s representative to be present in time in the House of Representatives whenever it is having discussions, adding that the presence of the government’s representative has been felt in starting today’s House session in time.
He also drew the attention of the MPs putting their views on the policies and programs to do so within the fixed time. RSS
]]>KATHMANDU, March 11: Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has expressed belief that the country could achieve economic prosperity as well as maintain good governance and rule of law if all problems are resolved through parliament.
Expressing gratitude to the leaders of different political parties and parliamentarians for electing him to the post of Speaker unopposed in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Speaker Mahara expressed the commitment to take possible initiatives to develop the parliament as a supreme place of people.
Earlier to this, extending best wishes to Speaker Mahara for his successful term, CPN-UML senior leader Jhalanath Khanal stressed that the role of all political parties should be crucial for country’s economic, social and cultural prosperity.
Similarly, Nepali Congress General Secretary Dr Shashanka Koirala expressed commitment that the opposition party would play positive role as the country has moved ahead towards the path of property. He said, “I expect that Mahara will be successful to move ahead by incorporating all as he is a politically matured person.”
CPN (Maoist Center) leader Barsha Man Pun congratulated newly elected Speaker Nembang, and wished for his successful tenure ahead.
Rastriya Janata Party Nepal leader Sharad Singh Bhandari also expressed hope that the Speaker would carry out his responsibility honestly.
Other speakers including Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Rajendra Lingden, Rastriya Janamorcha leader Durga Poudel and Nepal Workers Peasants Party leader Prem Suwal pointed out the role of Speaker in making the government accountable to the parliament. RSS
]]>KATHMANDU, March 9: CPN (Maoist Center) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house of a bicameral federal parliament of Nepal unopposed.
He was elected to the post unopposed as he was the lone candidate for the post, as stated by the Federal Parliament Secretariat. However, an official announcement about it will take place at a meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for Saturday– the day election of Speaker was fixed.
Earlier today, Mahara registered his candidacy for the position, which was supported by CPN-UML leader and former Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang, and seconded by Maoist Center leader Dev Gurung.
The main opposition Nepali Congress did not field any candidate on behalf of the party for the post. The party said that it decided not to file the candidacy as it strongly believed that a Speaker of the House of Representatives should be elected unanimously.
As per the election schedule of a Speaker, the time for filing the candidacy was set from 10:00 am from 1:00 pm today.
]]>KATHMANDU, March 9: CPN (Maoist Center) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara has registered his candidacy for post of Speaker of the Federal Parliament on Friday. Mahara had reached at the Federal Parliament building at around 11:20 am to file his nomination.
Earlier today morning, a meeting of the Maoist Center decided to field Mahara for the position. Mahara’s candidacy is proposed by former Speaker Subash Nembang and seconded by Maoist Center Chief whip Dev Gurung.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress has decided not to field any candidate for the position of Speaker, according to NC Spokesperson Bishwo Prakash Sharma. The nomination started at 10 am will open till 1 pm today.
Without opposition candidate from Nepali Congress, Mahara is all but sure to be elected as the Speaker of House of Representatives unopposed.
The election of Speaker is scheduled for March 10.
]]>DANG, Dec 24: CPN (Maoist Center) leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, has said that prosperity and unity of the nation would be the top priority of the next government.
At a program organized by Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwavidhyalaya, Dang, today to honor members of House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies, he expressed the view that even a small step initiated with a positive thinking would help make the campaign of building a prosperous society successful.
“I will always be active for the development of Brahma Kumari Vishwavidhyalaya as it has been providing service to people from every sectors of the society without personal interest for transformation of the society,” he said. RSS
]]>