By Binod Prasad Adhikari

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 13 (ANI): The tensions continue to flare in Nepal's House of Representatives over the absence of Prime Minister Balendra Shah during the proceedings, with one of the lawmakers walking out in protest.

Harka Raj Rai, Chairman of the Shram Sanskriti Party, stormed out of the parliamentary meeting on Wednesday, protesting the continued absence of PM Balen Shah during discussions on the government's policy and program.

Demanding that the Prime Minister personally appear in Parliament to answer questions raised by lawmakers, Rai said he would not remain in the chamber until Shah attended the session. He later exited the meeting hall along with lawmakers supporting his position.

Opposition lawmakers also have demanded the resignation of Shah after he failed to appear in Parliament to respond to questions raised on the government's policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year.

The House of Representatives had scheduled discussions on the policy and program for Wednesday. However, controversy erupted after it was announced that Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle would respond on behalf of the Prime Minister. Opposition parties immediately obstructed parliamentary proceedings, arguing that parliamentary tradition and democratic accountability require the Prime Minister himself to answer lawmakers' questions.

Lawmakers from opposition parties protested inside the House, chanting slogans and demanding the Prime Minister's presence. They accused Shah of avoiding Parliament and called on him to step down if he was unwilling to face the legislature.

The disruption comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties and parliamentary experts, who say the Prime Minister's continued absence from the House undermines parliamentary norms and weakens democratic accountability.

Balen Shah, who was appointed Prime Minister in late March during the Ram Navami festival, has yet to address Parliament publicly since assuming office. Opposition leaders say his repeated absence from the House amounts to evading democratic accountability.

'Today also, I am unable to see honourable Prime Minister in the parliament. He is not present in the deliberation of the plans and policies made by his government and his address was mentioned in the probable schedule of the parliament, but we cannot see him here at the house. It is the responsibility of the House Speaker to maintain the dignity and respect of the House. You are our Nayak as well; you can only hold it up. I would request the House Speaker to issue a ruling to the Prime Minister to be present in the parliament,' Niskal Rai, lawmaker from the opposition Nepali Congress, said.

Under long-established parliamentary practice in Nepal and other parliamentary democracies, the Prime Minister traditionally responds to concerns raised by opposition lawmakers during discussions on the government's policy and program.

However, Shah's decision to skip the session altogether has prompted opposition parties to warn of parliamentary obstruction if he fails to appear.

Leaders from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Nepali Congress, Nepali Communist Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Shram Sanskriti Party have reportedly informed Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal that they are prepared to jointly obstruct proceedings if the Prime Minister remains absent.

'This is not only our concern. It also concerns the House Speaker; it also relates to Prime Minister's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)'s 181 lawmakers in the parliament. While the parliament is deliberating over the plans and policies - the most important topic - where can the Prime Minister be at the time? This kind of practice does not prevail in other countries. The plans and policies are to be presented by the head of the government and answer the questions raised over the plans and policies,' Gyan Bahadur Shahi, lawmaker from Rastriya Prajatantra Party said.

The controversy has also placed the Speaker under growing pressure.

Despite mounting criticism, individuals close to the Prime Minister say Shah is neither ill nor physically unable to attend Parliament, but has instead chosen not to appear. The controversy deepened after Shah left the House midway through President Ram Chandra Poudel's presentation of the government's policy and program on Sunday.

Shortly afterwards, political adviser Asim Shah claimed the Prime Minister was unwell, but later deleted the statement. (ANI)