Kathmandu— Nepal’s Speaker of the House, Dol Prasad Aryal, has directed the Prime Minister to address concerns voiced by lawmakers during parliamentary sessions. The ruling follows repeated demands from opposition parties for a mechanism requiring the Prime Minister's direct response to their queries. The decision was made during a Monday session of the lower house and is based on rules 56 through 60 of the House of Representatives Regulations, established in 2083 BS (the Nepali calendar year).

Opposition Demands for Accountability

Lawmakers from opposition parties had previously requested that Speaker Aryal issue a ruling compelling the Prime Minister to respond to their concerns. These demands persisted through several meetings of the House of Representatives, leading to ongoing protests during sessions.

Ruling Based on House Regulations

The Speaker’s decision is grounded in established parliamentary procedure. According to Rule 56 of the House of Representatives Regulations-2083 BS, the first hour of each month's first week is designated for lawmakers to ask questions directly related to the Prime Minister and their work. Speaker Aryal stated that his attention had been drawn to this provision following continued protests from opposition members.

The ruling establishes a formal process for the Prime Minister to address lawmaker concerns, potentially setting the stage for increased parliamentary scrutiny in future sessions.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.