Committee urges Nepal's Speaker to act on May 31 House incident

A special committee formed to investigate an incident in Nepal's House of Representatives on May 31 has concluded that parliamentary decorum was breached. The committee has recommended that the Speaker utilize their special powers to address the violations.

The recommendations emphasize the strict enforcement of the House of Representatives Regulations, particularly concerning members who use offensive or provocative language. Measures proposed range from expunging such remarks from the official parliamentary record to the more severe action of expelling members from the House. These actions are to be implemented rigorously to uphold the standards of parliamentary conduct.

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The committee recommended that the Speaker strictly enforce the House of Representatives Regulations in cases where members use offensive or provocative language.

According to a press statement from the Speaker’s Secretariat, the committee stressed the shared responsibility of lawmakers, the Federal Parliament Secretariat, and the Speaker in ensuring full compliance with the established code of conduct and rules. Beyond disciplinary actions, the committee proposed strengthening orientation programs and awareness initiatives regarding the parliamentary code of conduct. Enhancing the effectiveness of party leadership and chief whips was also highlighted as crucial.

Further recommendations included improving security and technological management within the House, adopting international best practices, activating a parliamentary conduct monitoring committee, and reinforcing the Parliament Secretariat's human resources and technological capacity. The committee also called for greater internal discipline and accountability within political parties, improved precedent management, and enhanced CCTV surveillance and record-keeping systems. Finally, it suggested making the Business Advisory Committee and administrative support mechanisms more effective to prevent future breaches of decorum.

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The committee also stressed that lawmakers, the Federal Parliament Secretariat, and the Speaker must take seriously the responsibility of ensuring full compliance with the code of conduct and rules outlined in the House of Representatives Regulations.