The ruling Nepali Congress-Maoist Centre alliance on Saturday agreed to withdraw an impeachment motion its lawmakers had filed against Chief Justice Sushila Karki, paving the way for House resumption and discussions on government policies and programmes presented by the President on Thursday.

The CPN-UML, which had been objecting to the impeachment motion against the chief justice, had been obstructing House proceedings also to protest the government’s May 22 decision to revise the number and boundaries of local units in Tarai districts. 

However, a Supreme Court ruling on Friday staying the government decision to increase the number of local units had settled the issue.

The main opposition decided not to obstruct House proceedings after the ruling parties at a meeting on Saturday agreed to withdraw the impeachment motion against Karki, according to Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, chief whip of the UML. The parties reached an agreement to this effect during a meeting with the main opposition prior to Saturday’s Parliament meeting. 

The ruling coalition is likely to withdraw the impeachment motion, filed on April 30, on Sunday. 

The move to impeach CJ Karki by 251 NC and Maoist Centre lawmakers had become an albatross around the ruling coalition’s neck, as it had not only met with severe criticism from several quarters but was also stayed by the Supreme Court five days later on May 5. 

With the main opposition upping the ante, the ruling alliance was under huge pressure to withdraw the impeachment motion against Karki. After the agreement between the ruling coalition and the main opposition, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday afternoon tabled the policies and programmes in Parliament. 

Tek Bahadur Basnet, chief whip of the Maoist Centre, tabled a motion to thank President Bidya Devi Bhandari for presenting the government policies and programmes. The government had failed to thank the President in the wake of continued House disruption by the UML.

Dahal’s plan to step down had also failed to materialise on Tuesday after the UML warned of disrupting House proceedings. A day later, Dahal on Wednesday announced his resignation  through a televised addressed and is since running the government as caretaker prime minister. 

Panel to probe poll irregularities

KATHMANDU: A five-member special parliamentary committee was formed on Saturday to probe into the alleged irregularities during the first phase of local elections held on May 14.

An agreement to form such a committee was reached during a meeting of major parties on Saturday. Arjun Prasad Joshi of the Nepali Congress, Ram Narayan Bidari of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Rajendra Prasad Pandey of the CPN-UML, Bhaskar Bhadra of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Subodh Kumar Pokharel of Nepal Loktantrik Forum have been named members of parliamentary probe committee. (PR)