KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to end its parliamentary obstruction after reaching an agreement with major parties to establish a parliamentary probe committee to address issues within cooperatives nationwide. The seven-member inquiry committee comprises representatives from various political parties and has been tasked with submitting its report with recommendations within three months.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the parliamentary probe committee were finalized in a meeting held on Tuesday, following discussions among key stakeholders. The agreement on the ToR marks the resolution of the deadlock that had paralyzed Parliament since the second week of March, triggered by NC's demand for the resignation of Home Minister Lamichhane over allegations of embezzlement involving cooperative funds.
To reach this agreement, a Task Force was formed, consisting of representatives from NC, UML, and RSP, under the coordination of Law Minister Padam Giri. After several rounds of discussions, the Task Force agreed on four key points, including studying the crisis in cooperatives, protecting savings, and investigating troubled cooperatives like Gorkha Media Network.
While there were initial disagreements, intensive discussions and negotiations eventually led to consensus among the parties involved. Despite NC's initial insistence on including Home Minister Lamichhane in the probe, a compromise was reached, paving the way for the formation of the inquiry committee without mentioning Lamichhane's name. This agreement signifies a significant step towards addressing the issues within cooperatives and restoring functionality to Parliament.
