Kathmandu, May 8
It has been revealed that the main opposition CPN-UML had tried to file an impeachment motion against Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar and send her to suspension in an act of vengeance. The plan, however, failed as the constitution does not have any provision on impeachment against the Speaker.
The party had already collected signatures of its lawmakers to use in the motion, but the efforts turned meaningless after the party found that the Speaker could not be impeached constitutionally.
Article 299.6 of the constitution has the provision for the removal of the Speaker from her position. It says the Speaker can be relieved of her duties once two-third lawmakers of Parliament pass a proposal which says her conducts are not appropriate to her position.
The Speaker, however, does not get suspended immediately after registration of such proposal as in the case of impeachment motion.
After realising the provision, the opposition leaders had dropped the plan which they had thought could be beneficial to garner more votes in upcoming local level elections.
The UML had expected that the Parliament Secretariat would initiate actions against Supreme Court Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana accusing him of interfering with the jurisdiction of the Parliament while staying the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki.
But, the Speaker restrained herself from aggravating the situation by delaying parliamentary procedures and it also forced the UML to stay silent, according to sources.
