The third session of Legislature-Parliament commenced on Monday, endorsing the agendas of pre-budget discussion, presentation of the government’s policies and programmes, and tabulation of the budget for the fiscal year 2017-18.

Speaker Onasari Gharti announced the new session, reading a letter from the President’s Office. The President, on the recommendation of the government, calls the session of Parliament or prorogues it.

According to the House agenda endorsed on Monday, pre-budget discussion will take place on Tuesday while President Bidya Devi Bhandari will present the government’s policies and programmes on Thursday. The next meeting of Parliament has been scheduled for 11am on Tuesday. Pre-budget discussion, which used to be held for at least three days, has been reduced to one day in the lack of time before presentation of the fiscal budget. The Constitution of Nepal requires the budget to be presented on the 15th of the Nepali month of Jestha (May 29 this year).

As the opposition parties are against new programmes in the upcoming budget fearing that it could sway votes in the second phase of local level elections, the government is preparing to table a regular budget. Polling in the second phase is due to be held on June 14.

The longest ever House session that commenced on May 3 last year came to an end on Thursday midnight after 381 days. The last session lasted 114 days and held 135 meetings. There was no winter session as the budget session ran for more than a year.