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Gray cloud over budget session
KATHMANDU, JUN 07 -
The ongoing political stalemate has spelt uncertainty for the all important budget session of the Legislature Parliament where the government will have to present its annual policies and programmes and the budget for the year 2010-2011.
Amid standoff between the ruling parties and the main opposition UCPN (Maoist), the government has cancelled its preparation for summoning the budget session on Tuesday afternoon. The prime minister’s office has communicated to the parliament secretariat that a new date for the session will be fixed after consultations with political parties, said Speaker Subas Nembang.
Officials say the row over the formation of a new government has created serious complexity in starting the budget session. In its very first meeting, the House must announce the date on which the President will read out the government’s policies and programmes. The Maoists have said the new government should bring the annual policy and budget. “The situation before us is very complex as the incumbent government should resign any moment and the caretaker one will not have any legitimacy to table the budget and annual policies and programmes at the House,” a senior official at the Parliament Secretariat told the Post on Monday.
The procedure would be “further uncertain” if the government resigns after the president presents the annual policy and programme. “The Interim Constitution has not imagined such a scenario,” added the official saying that political consensus is a must before starting the budget session.
The Parliament Secretariat has made preparations to invite President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to the House on June 16. After the endorsement of the policies and programmes, the Parliament should conduct a pre-budget discussion till June 24. The rules of procedures of the Parliament maintain that the pre-budget discussion should complete 15 days before presenting the budget in the House. The budget speech is planned for July 9. Officials say the immediate resignation of the prime minister will also not solve the problem as the parties will need at least a week’s time to elect the new government. However, if there is consensus among the parties the President’s appearance in the House can be rescheduled and the provision for a pre-budget discussion can be suspended. Last year, the provisions of regulation were suspended and the endorsement of the budget was delayed due to the disputes between the government and the Maoists.
“The prime minister has informed me that parties are engaged in consultations to resolve the stalemate,” said Speaker Nembang.
Posted on: 2010-06-08 07:37
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