Three ordinances issued by the earlier government are likely to be tabled for approval in the House of Representatives on Monday as Parliament is set in motion after the elections of Speaker and deputy Speaker and the vote of confidence in Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The government has already registered the ordinance to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act in the Parliament Secretariat to be tabled in the Lower House.

An ordinance in force has to be presented to the federal parliament within two months of the first meeting. If approved, its legality continues as Act but is repealed if not endorsed. The federal parliament meeting commenced on March 5.

In the absence of Parliament, the erstwhile Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government had issued three ordinances including the one to extend the term of the transitional justice bodies. The tenures of CIEDP and TRC have been extended by a year until February 9 next year through the ordinance.

“The ordinance on transitional justice bodies will be tabled on Monday while there will be some changes with regard to members of the committee formed to draft the HoR regulations,” said Bharat Raj Gautam, spokesperson for the Parliament Secretariat.

According to CPN (Maoist Centre) Chief Whip Dev Gurung, there are also chances that the two other ordinances will be tabled on Monday. President Bidya Devi Bhandari on November 10 last year authenticated the Health Profession Education (HPE) Ordinance on the government’s recommendation. The ordinance was moved as demanded by Dr Govinda KC, who has been fighting for reforms in the country’s medical education sector, in line with the recommendations of a team of experts led by educationist Kedar Bhakta Mathema. Another ordinance, issued on December 28 for National Assembly elections, will be tabled after consultation in the House. As the HPE Ordinance, which seeks to put a 10-year moratorium on new medical schools in Kathmandu Valley, is against the lobby of many leaders in the left alliance, it will be interesting to see how it fares in the House having two-thirds members from the two ruling allies.

As the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences owned by CPN-UML leaders will not be licensed for 10 years if provisions of the ordinance are upheld, there is a high chance of the law being repealed or passed after revision.