Early controversies cloud Speaker Aryal’s tenure

Opposition parties are currently obstructing proceedings in Nepal's House of Representatives, demanding Prime Minister Balendra Shah address his controversial remarks on border encroachment. Simultaneously, they are criticizing Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal, accusing him of failing to maintain impartiality in his role. Lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and the Shram Sanskriti Party have publicly questioned whether Aryal still holds membership in the Rastriya Swatantra Party, from which he was elected to the Speakership.

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Every opposition lawmaker demanding Shah’s clarification is also castigating Aryal for failing to play an impartial role.

The trust deficit between the opposition and the Speaker widened after Prime Minister Shah, bypassing the standard parliamentary agenda, requested and was granted a question-answer session with lawmakers. During this session, Shah made the controversial border remarks. Speaker Aryal's swift action in facilitating this session, which deviates from parliamentary norms requiring the prime minister to answer queries on prescribed dates, has drawn significant criticism. He is accused of allowing the executive branch to overshadow the legislature.

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questioned if Aryal is still a member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party from which he made it to the House of Representatives.

Further compounding the controversy, Aryal pushed through the House of Representatives Regulations on the same evening, despite ongoing obstruction and sloganeering from opposition parties. These new regulations reportedly contain contentious provisions. Instead of fostering consensus through the Business Advisory Committee, a standard practice for discussing regulations, Aryal proceeded with endorsement, a process that has historically taken months of deliberation. The opposition views this as a disregard for established parliamentary procedures.

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However, Aryal swiftly acted as Shah wanted, ignoring the Parliament’s regulation.

While Aryal was elected unopposed, an uncommon occurrence in Nepal's parliamentary history, suggesting initial broad acceptability, his recent conduct has been problematic. The Speaker is legally bound to relinquish party membership upon election and practically expected to remain neutral. This impartiality is crucial, especially when the government holds significant power. The opposition argues that Aryal has not upheld the dignity and credibility of Parliament. Although the opposition's prolonged protests are also seen as inappropriate, the onus is on the Speaker to initiate dialogue and resolve disputes, a step critics feel Aryal is not taking.

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However, many aspects of Aryal’s recent handling of parliamentary proceedings as the presiding officer of the House are problematic.