The dispute between the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) is unlikely to end anytime soon as the latter has decided to continue its obstruction of the House of Representatives against efforts to portray the decade-long Maoist insurgency as “violence".

Concluding that terming the “people’s movement” as violence was an attempt to demean the party, the Maoist Centre has presented the removal of the word from parliamentary records as its bottom line to lifting the obstruction.

“It is disrespectful to the people’s war, republicanism, federalism and constitution,” Hitraj Pandey, the party’s chief whip, told the media after the meeting. “The party has decided to intensify protests in the House.”

Addressing the House meeting on August 28, UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said the Maoist insurgency was “unfortunate”, and Nepal’s hydropower sector would have progressed long ago had several electricity infrastructures not been destroyed by then-rebel Maoists during the insurgency.

Maoist lawmakers had promptly objected to his statement claiming that terming the “people’s war” as “violence” is disrespecting the constitution. They demanded expunging the word from parliamentary records. They allowed the House to function only after Speaker Devraj Ghimire’s assurance to take necessary decisions after study.

On Wednesday, Speaker Ghimire made an announcement, declaring that the term “violence” was not unparliamentary. He ruled that the word ‘violence’ does not qualify to be termed unparliamentary, citing the parliamentary regulations 2022, the discussions held at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, and the Parliament Secretariat’s opinion. Therefore, it would not be removed from official records, he said.

Maoist lawmakers objected to the Speaker’s decision, called it biased and resorted to obstructing the House.

In Friday’s meeting, party chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed his lawmakers to strongly retaliate the UML’s attempt to disrespect the “glorious” people's movement that was instrumental in the country’s socio-political transformation. The next meeting of the House is slated for Sunday.

“It is unconstitutional to call the people’s movement ‘violence’. Parliament will not function without settling the matter,” said Pandey.

The main opposition party has also decided to strongly stand against any move to remove Deputy Speaker Indira Rana.

The UML and the Nepali Congress have asked Rana to resign her position, alleging her misconduct.

Rana, who was elected from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, landed in controversy after revelation that she had requested visa interview dates from the US Embassy for individuals unrelated to her official role in February last year.

After months of heated debate, ruling parties now argue that her act falls below the standards outlined in Article 91 of the Constitution of Nepal, and want her out.

On February 26 last year, Rana wrote a letter to the US Embassy requesting visa interviews for herself and five others. She is under pressure to step down after the letter was leaked two months ago. In the letter, Rana requested the embassy to expedite interview dates for six people, including herself. The others named in the letter were Dipendra Gautam, Sushma Lama, Rajesh Lama Tamang, Sujan Magar, and Dhan Prasad Gurung.

Rana had written that she wanted the interview dates to be rescheduled to an earlier date as they were attending the 67th Commission on the Status of Women session, scheduled in New York from March 6 to 17, 2023.

The RSP leaders have also admitted that Rana misused her position by directly writing to the US Embassy, but argue that the ruling alliance had blown the issue out of proportion, 19 months after the incident.

The ruling parties are set to remove her through a two-thirds majority of the House if she doesn’t resign. The Maoist Centre said though there have been lapses on Rana’s part, it will stand strongly if the ruling parties come up with a motion to remove her.

“We will strongly act against attempts to remove her through a two-thirds majority,” said Pandey.