Lawmakers face backlash over 'high-handed' oversight tactics

Lawmakers in Nepal are drawing fire for what critics describe as high-handed and confrontational tactics during parliamentary oversight duties. Recent incidents have seen parliamentarians engaging in public disputes with officials and demanding sensitive documents, prompting accusations that they are overstepping their authority and interfering with executive functions.

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Who allowed you to collect money from people just to sit here? This is an official inspection. We are members of the Finance Committee.

One notable event involved members of the Parliamentary Finance Committee confronting the CEO of IMS Services at Tribhuvan International Airport. The lawmakers, who brought their own camera operator, questioned the company's right to charge visitors a seating fee. The exchange became tense when the CEO explained the company operated under an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. The lawmakers' aggressive questioning and demands, particularly one member's populist framing of an elderly father's situation, drew widespread criticism after a video clip went viral.

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Even under this new government, an elderly father waiting for his son returning from Japan has to pay just to sit down?

Parliamentary affairs experts point to a lack of clarity regarding lawmakers' roles and a growing trend of seeking public attention through social media-friendly confrontations. This behavior, they argue, undermines the principle of legislative oversight by prioritizing performative actions over substantive monitoring. The incidents raise questions about the appropriate boundaries of legislative power and the impact of social media on political conduct in Nepal.

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We charge Rs50 and Rs100 to manage the crowd, but senior citizens, children below five years, and persons with disabilities are allowed to sit without paying.