Miscellaneous
UML stakes claim to PAC chair; Maoists don’t relent
The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and the main opposition CPN-UML are at odds over the appointment of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair, after the previous chairman was appointed a minister.The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and the main opposition CPN-UML are at odds over the appointment of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair, after the previous chairman was appointed a minister.
The Maoist Centre has demanded another parliamentary committee’s leadership if the PAC chair was to be given to the UML.
However, the second largest party is unwilling to exchange it with the leadership of any other committee. “We are waiting for the Maoist Centre’s decision. Janardan Sharma publicly said he had resigned as the chair honouring the tradition that the PAC should be led by an opposition leader,” said Bhanubhakta Dhakal, the UML chief whip.
The Public Accounts Committee is considered to be most effective for scrutinising the government’s expenses. For this reason, the main opposition does not want the committee to be led by another party.
Maoist leader Sharma continued to lead the PAC even after his party joined the UML-led government. He resigned as its chairman after he was named the energy minister in the government led by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Now the UML is staking its claim to the PAC but the ruling Maoist Centre has been demanding one parliamentary committee led by the main opposition in exchange.
“Since the parliamentary committees were divided among the parties represented in Parliament as per their strength we must get to head one committee in return for the PAC,” said Maoist leader Giriraj Mani Pokhrel.
The House is also preparing to form the Constitution Implementation Monitoring Committee and a conduct monitoring committee.