President to address to joint session of Nepal Parliament on Monday, to announce govt's policy

Earlier last month, citing special reasons, President Paudel on April 23 suspended the session of both houses of Parliament that was scheduled for April 30, a development that was described by the opposition as unprecedented and surprising. Now, the session starting Monday will be the second parliamentary session the budget session -- after the joint session from April 20 to 10, held days after the new dispensation took charge.

The policy document of Nepal's new government will be announced on Monday, the first day of the Federal Parliament's budget session. This will be the first budget session of the Parliament after Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) rode to power in March. A Constitutional provision requires the president to address the joint session of the first meeting of the Parliament after the House of Representatives election and the first session of the Parliament every year. President Ramchandra Paudel, who is scheduled to address the joint session of Parliament, will announce the policies and programmes of the government on Monday as per the Article 95 of the Constitution, spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat Ekram Giri said here. The Parliament meeting will start at 2 pm and the president will deliver his speech at 4 pm, a notice issued by the Parliament secretariat said. Earlier last month, citing ''special reasons,'' President Paudel on April 23 suspended the session of both houses of Parliament that was scheduled for April 30, a development that was described by the opposition as ''unprecedented and surprising.'' Now, the session starting Monday will be the second parliamentary session – the budget session -- after the joint session from April 20 to 10, held days after the new dispensation took charge. The Balen Shah government recommended the president to suspend the session starting on April 30 mainly to promulgate important ordinances. One of them was a Constitutional Council ordinance, which was aimed at appointing the new Chief Justice as the position had remained vacant for some time. The move invited criticism from the opposition parties, who argued that regular sessions of the parliament should be followed instead of a short cut way to introduce ordinances. The date for budget presentation is fixed, Jestha 15 each year, according to the Nepali calendar. It falls on May 29 this year as per the Gregorian calendar. As per the schedule, the government will present eight ordinances recently promulgated by the President for endorsement. These ordinances include among others, public procurement ordinance, ordinance related to special arrangements for removal of public position holders, and constitutional council first amendment ordinance. The ordinances will also be presented to the National Assembly or the Upper House. Shah and the RSP decimating the traditional parties in the first general elections – voting for which was held on March 5 – since last year's violent Gen Z protests that sought generational change and a corruption-free regime.