PM, senior ministers record poor attendance in Parliament

KATHMANDU, July 23: The attendance of party chairpersons, parliamentary party leaders, the prime minister, former prime ministers and ministers at parliamentary sittings has remained low. The latest data from the Parliament Secretariat show that several senior ministers holding key portfolios have frequently been absent from parliamentary meetings.

According to the data, Prime Minister Balendra Shah and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal have each attended only five of the 39 parliamentary sittings held during the first and second sessions.

Among ministers, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha attended six sittings, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal attended seven, while Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal attended eight sittings each. Labour, Employment and Social Security Minister Ramjee Yadav attended 12 sittings, while Finance Minister Swarnim Waglé attended only 14. Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Khadak Raj Paudel attended 12 sittings, while Health and Food Safety Minister Nisha Mehta attended 13, placing them among the least-attending ministers.

Among parliamentary party leaders, Rastriya Swatantrata Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane attended 19 sittings, while CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' attended 20 sittings. Shram Sanskriti Party leader Harka Raj Rai (Sampang) attended 24 while Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe attended 31.

According to the Parliament Secretariat, although prime ministers and ministers in previous governments were also frequently absent from Parliament, their attendance was still better than that of the current government. Secretariat officials say regular participation by the executive in parliamentary proceedings helps strengthen public trust in the government, while the opposition's role is to hold the government accountable.

While the attendance of senior ministers has remained poor, several MPs have consistently participated in parliamentary proceedings and raised public concerns. Of the 39 sittings, 21 MPs attended 36, 25 attended 35, and 24 attended 34.

The 21 MPs who attended 36 sittings are Anushka Shrestha, Kul Bhakta Shakya, Govinda Panthi, Dhurbaraj Rai, Narendra Kumar Kerung, Nirasha Chaudhary Dagoura, Parbati BK, Pramila Kumari Gachhadar, Pramesh Kumar Hamal, Bharat Giri, Bharat Bahadur Khadka, Bhim Kumari Budhamagar, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Yagya Bahadur Bogati, Ratna Kumari Thapa, Lalita Kumari, Basana Thapa, Sarita Mahato, Sunil KC, Suresh Kumar Chaudhury and Harina Devi Kami.

The 25 MPs who attended 35 sittings include Aaren Rai, Yasuda Kumari Baral, Khadak Bahadur Budha, Ganga Chhantyal, Ganesh Singh Thagunna, Jog Kumar Yadav, Tika Sangraula, Dharmaraj KC, Nitima Bhandari Karki, Parshuram Tamang, Pabitra BK, Prakash Singh Karki, Pradip Bista, Prem Bahadur Bayak, Balawati Sharma, Bhumika Limbu Subba, Rachana Khatiwada Khatri, Ranju Neupane, Rahbar Ansari, Vidushi Rana, Bishwa Raj Pokhrel, Shobha Khanal, Saraswati Lama, Sita Thapaliya and Sushil Khadka.

The 24 MPs who attended 34 sittings include Ashika Tamang, Kripa Ram Rana, Krishna Hari Budhathoki, Kshitij Thebe, Khagendra Sunar, Ganga Laxmi Awal, Jagdish Kharel (Lalitpur), Tuka Bhadra Hamal, Nita Ghatani, Pramila Kuluju, Madan Krishna Shrestha, Yuvaraj Dalal, Rajani Shrestha, Rabindra Patel, Radhika Ramtel, Renuka Kaucha, Shreedhar Pokhrel, Santosh Subba, Sumnima Udas, Sulav Kharel and Sushma Swarnakar.

According to Sub-rule (2) of Rule 213 of the House of Representatives Rules and Article 89 (d) of the Constitution, a member intending to remain absent for more than 10 consecutive sittings must notify the Speaker in advance. The Parliament Secretariat said most MPs obtain prior approval before remaining absent for more than 10 sittings.

Parliament Secretariat officials said that unlike during the first Constituent Assembly, when around 50 MPs remained absent without notifying the House, current lawmakers generally follow the rules and seek leave in advance. However, many members do not formally notify the Secretariat when taking leave for one or two days. So far, the Secretariat has received leave applications from at least 17 members.

Experts say that under Article 89 of the Constitution, an MP who remains absent from 10 consecutive sittings without the Speaker's permission may have his or her seat declared vacant. They argue that parliamentary attendance is essential not only as a constitutional obligation but also as the foundation of parliamentary democracy.

They say MPs can effectively raise the concerns of the regions, communities and constituencies they represent only through their presence in Parliament. Parliament's primary responsibility is to enact laws, and meaningful debate on bills, amendments and individual clauses requires lawmakers' active participation. The presence of MPs also serves as a check on the executive, preventing the government from becoming unaccountable. Since MPs receive salaries, allowances and other benefits from the state treasury, experts say they have both a legal and moral obligation to attend parliamentary proceedings and fulfil their constitutional responsibilities.