The ruling and opposition parties seem to be drifting further apart over the issue of investigating the cooperatives scam as leaders from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and the Nepali Congress compete in making personal accusations against each other.

A meeting of the top leaders of the major ruling and opposition parties on Saturday evening had in principle agreed to constitute a parliamentary panel to investigate the scam.

As per their agreement, a four-member committee led by Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Padam Giri, who also is a CPN-UML leader, was formed to finalise the terms of reference (ToR) for the parliamentary probe. The committee also includes Jeevan Pariyar from the Congress, Mahesh Bartaula of the UML, and Shishir Khanal of the RSP.

However, marathon meetings by the Giri-led panel starting Sunday morning could not agree on the ToR as the ruling parties stuck to their guns. The main opposition insisted that the investigation against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane, in the capacity as then managing director of Gorkha Media Network, where the money from four different cooperatives was injected, should be the primary focus of the probe panel.

The ruling parties on the other hand wanted a committee to probe the problems facing the entire cooperatives sector including those with links to Lamichhane—but without specifically naming the deputy prime minister, who also is the RSP chair.

“We don’t want the committee just for the sake of forming one. It needs to investigate what we are pressing for,” said Ramesh Lekhak, Nepali Congress chief whip. “The ruling parties want a probe panel with a broader objective, without investigating the home minister.”

The ruling party leaders, however, say the Congress wants to form the committee with the objective of implicating a particular person (Lamichhane). “The sole objective of the Congress is to target an individual, which is not acceptable. Their demand has nothing to do with resolving the problems in the cooperative sector but only with implicating the home minister,” said the UML’s Bartaula.

RSP leaders say they were even flexible about including (Lamichhane-linked) Surya Darshan Cooperative of Pokhara, Sahara Cooperative of Chitwan and Supreme Cooperative of Butwal in the broader investigation, but only if the Congress agrees to allow the probe committee to dig up possible misuse of deposits in the cooperatives that have been declared crisis-ridden. “However, the Congress leaders didn’t agree. They backtracked from Saturday's agreement,” said the RSP’s Khanal.

As the parties were in negotiations to finalise the ToR, a meeting of the House of Representatives called for 11 in the morning was postponed to 2 pm, which was again postponed to 4 pm.

With no agreement in sight, the House meeting finally commenced at 6 in the evening with the single agenda of allowing Lamichhane to clarify the accusations against him.

A meeting of the opposition parties held earlier in the morning had agreed to allow the home minister to answer questions raised against him, a chance he had long been asking for.

The meeting called by the Congress was attended by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. The opposition parties, particularly the Congress, which had been barring Lamichhane from addressing the House and presenting bills, had agreed to allow him to clarify the matter.

Addressing the House after more than two months, Lamichhane not only defended himself, but also launched a personal attacks on several Congress leaders.

Daring anyone to present concrete evidence of fraud, he said, “I challenge anyone to show evidence that any decision was made to acquire a loan from cooperatives, that I submitted any loan applications or signatures during the loan process, or that any funds were deposited into my account during my tenure at Gorkha Media Network Pvt Ltd.”

He claimed that fake loan statements were prepared in the cooperatives in his name, for which he is not responsible. “I haven’t signed any documents nor have I been on their boards or served in official capacity in any of the cooperatives. Never ever did the Gorkha Media decide to take loans from cooperatives,” he said. “I am not responsible to clear the filth created by [then Gorkha Media chair] GB Rai.”

He said he has been hounded based on the sensational media headlines targeting him.

Lamichhane also lashed out at the Nepali Congress, revealing that the party had offered him the prime ministerial position for a term of a year and a half. He questioned the party's moral stance, wondering why they considered him unfit for the role of home minister yet found him suitable for prime minister.

“If I am ineligible to serve as home minister, with what moral justification do I assume the post of prime minister? I wish to raise this question in the House today. Is the offer for the prime ministerial position still valid, or has it lapsed?” said Lamichhane.

He asked if the Congress was ready to constitute a probe panel against everyone the media has linked with corruption. Without naming Gagan Thapa, the Congress general secretary, Lamichhane accused him of selling the country's secret information to foreigners. Citing media reports, he also claimed that Thapa had embezzled millions of rupees in the name of constructing a park at Tri-Chandra College and had misused agricultural grants.

He also asked whether the main opposition would want a probe panel against those who have been accused of grabbing the land of Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory, illegally registering public land in Tikapur under individuals’ name, and stealing luxury watches, or selling diplomatic passports.

“Not just those who hold two or three citizenship, the agents and assets of the foreigners who hold one citizenship and one passport but sell the country’s secret information must be ousted as the lawmaker,” he said.

In response, the Congress leaders said Lamichhane was rattled by the demands to investigate him. Holding a press meet after the House meeting, Congress leader Thapa said not just Lamichhane but his larger team is also involved in the embezzlement of savings from cooperatives. “It seems they [Lamichhane and other RSP leaders] are trying their luck at running a political party having already operated cooperatives and a media company,” he said.

Stating that such committees have been constituted in the past, Thapa said if Ram Sharan Mahat, Bharat Mohan Adhikari or Janardan Sharma can be investigated, why not Lamichhane. He also challenged the home minister to uncover any wrongdoing on his part. “If I am guilty, I need to face legal action. If he is guilty he has to go through the same process,” he said asking Lamichhane why he fears investigations.

Thapa challenged the home minister to investigate his entire life, starting from his birth in Prasuti Griha [maternity hospital] in Kathmandu. “Look at the kinds of allegations he [Lamichhane] has levelled against me. I request him: Please form a committee to probe me… Such a committee to probe Gagan Thapa can be formed even within the RSP. Please do it.”

Thapa said his party primarily wants an investigation into the embezzlement of money in the cooperatives with Lamichhane’s involvement as they believe that police have been barred from investigating them.

“We are clear the House cannot function until a probe committee is formed as per our demand. The vote of trust motion will also not move ahead so long as the committee is not formed," said Thapa.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is preparing to take a vote of trust from the lower house on Monday. However, lack of agreement among the parties has put it into uncertainty. “We will try to agree on the ToR on Monday morning. Even if we can’t come to an agreement, the Congress should allow the vote on the trust motion as it is being done as per a constitutional obligation,” said Bartaula.