Kathmandu, April 25 (H.S.): The budget session of Nepal’s Parliament is starting on Friday, but controversy has already erupted between the government and the opposition on the very first day. The opposition leader has announced a boycott of the Prime Minister’s address, resulting in the postponement of the Prime Minister’s address at the last moment.

Typically, on the first day of a parliamentary session, leaders from all major parties are present in the house, and they deliver their addresses. However, the major opposition leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda from the Maoist party, announced a boycott of the Prime Minister’s address this morning. After a parliamentary party meeting, Prachanda demanded the Prime Minister’s immediate resignation. He stated that the government has failed on every front and that Prime Minister Oli has no right to remain in office for even a single day.

A letter sent to the Parliament Secretariat informed about the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s address scheduled for today. The letter also mentioned that the address was canceled due to the absence of opposition leaders.

It is customary for all major party leaders, including the opposition, to be present when the Prime Minister addresses Parliament. Not only the opposition leader but also the major leader from the ruling party, Sher Bahadur Deuba from the Nepali Congress, will not be able to attend today’s Parliament meeting as he is currently on a foreign trip. Deuba is returning this afternoon from a trip to Bangkok and Singapore.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar