The Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday obstructed Province 5 Assembly meeting, demanding an immediate designation of provincial capital and name. The main opposition party has warned of obstructing the assembly meeting unless the name and provincial headquarters are decided.

Speaking during the special hour of the assembly meeting, NC Whip Nirmala Chhetri claimed that Province 5 could not be run as per the constitutional provisions. She argued that Province 5 paid no heeds to the constitution provisions that say the province’s name and capital should be decided within six months. “The NC is compelled to obstruct the meeting as the Provincial Assembly did not take initiatives in this regard,” she said.

Following the obstruction of the meeting by the Congress lawmakers, Speaker Purna Bahadur Gharti postponed the assembly meeting till 1pm on Monday.

The NC whip also drew Speaker Gharti’s attention towards the issue of the speaker and deputy speaker from a single party in Province 5. Chhetri demanded that the state government take immediate initiatives to sort out the matter.

Province 3 Assembly meeting still uncertain

HETAUDA: The fate of Province 3 assembly meeting is still undecided, with the Nepali Congress sticking to its gun of disrupting the meeting until the main opposition’s demands are addressed.

The assembly meeting, scheduled for July 20, has been postponed until another notice after the Congress disrupted the provincial assembly over the issue of speaker and deputy speaker from the same party.

Sources said the ruling and opposition parties tentatively agreed not to call another assembly meeting until the federal parliament addresses the dispute. “We have been exerting pressure on the government to implement the constitutional provision of having speaker and deputy speaker from different parties. During recent talks with the ruling party it was agreed not to call an assembly meeting until the issue has been resolved in the House of Representatives,” said NC parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Baniya.