The ruling coalition has taken exception to what they call threats issued by the CPN-UML to Speaker Agni Sapkota.

Issuing a joint press statement, the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and a representative from the Madhav Nepal group, which is in the process of registering a new party, said that the UML’s threatening statements against Speaker Sapkota are objectionable.

On August 19, a group of UML lawmakers had reached the office of the Speaker demanding that he issue a notice of expulsion of 14 lawmakers from the Nepal faction as decided by the CPN-UML’s Parliamentary Party on August 17, or face consequences.

Oli has expelled the 14 members of the Nepal faction as lawmakers, accusing them of being involved in anti-party activities.

“The threatening statements by UML lawmakers against the Speaker on August 19 and 20 and similar statements of its leader have drawn our serious concern,” said the joint press statement issued by the ruling alliance.

The statement is signed by Pushpa Bhusal, whip of the Nepali Congress, Dev Prasad Gurung, chief whip of the Maoist Centre, Pradeep Yadav, a representative of the Janata Samajbadi Party, Durga Poudel, a leader of Rastriya Janamorcha and Jeevan Ram Shrestha, representative of the Nepal faction, which has approached the Election Commission to register CPN (Unified Socialist).

“The threatening statements to the Speaker are against the existing constitutional and democratic system,” reads the statement. “It’s the duty of all lawmakers to uphold the constitutional system.”

“As per Nepal’s constitution, the Speaker not just heads the legislature but also functions as the protector of the federal parliament,” the statement added.

The ruling alliance has also objected to the statements by the leader of the main opposition UML, KP Sharma Oli, against the House Speaker.

Oli on August 19 in an interview to a private news agency said that the Speaker must stop acting like a Maoist cadre. “He is not a judge,” said Oli.

The ruling coalition has urged all to respect constitutional decorum.