The government on Friday decided to recommend President Ramchandra Paudel to prorogue the winter session of the federal parliament with effect from Sunday midnight.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers took the decision, according to Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, who is also the government’s spokesperson.

The House of Representatives is currently adjourned due to disputes between ruling and opposition parties. The main opposition Nepali Congress, among other opposition parties, have demanded a parliamentary panel to probe Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane over his alleged involvement in the cooperative scam. Lamichhane, who is accused of misusing cooperative funds worth millions of rupees, has been denying the allegations.

The House is being prorogued without endorsing vital bills including those related to the full-fledged implementation of federalism that have long been pending. More than two months since its commencement, the winter session, also called the bill session, has endorsed just three bills.

The Cabinet meeting also recommended Anjan Shakya for the one vacant seat in the National Assembly. Shakya, who is close to the CPN-UML, is a former ambassador to Israel and a former National Planning Commission member. She will be appointed after the President approves the decision.

The Cabinet also decided to form a committee to recommend office-bearers to two transitional justice bodies–The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

Former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra will head the committee that is mandated to recommend chairs and members to the two transitional justice-related commissions, said Minister Sharma. Other members will be either the chair of the National Human Rights Commission or anyone recommended by the NHRC chair, former Supreme Court Justice Jagadish Sharma Poudel, Dr Arjun Kumar Karki and Stella Tamang.

The government formed the committee on the last day of the 30-day deadline given by the Supreme Court. The apex court had earlier directed the government to form a committee to commence the selection of office bearers in the two transitional justice commissions that have been defunct for around two years. Issuing the full text of the January 29 verdict on March 12, the top court had given a month for the government to start the selection process.

Likewise, the meeting declared orange as the national fruit. The decision was taken as recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture, said Minister Sharma.