Nepali Speaker rejects motion against president

KATHMANDU, May 30 -- Nepali Speaker Subas Nembang told the parliamentary Business Advisory Committee on Saturday that resolution motion notice against President Ram Baran Yadav stands rejected.

Nembang told the parliamentary body that since there was sharp division between those (parliamentary parties and lawmakers) who registered the notice and those who opposed it, he decided not to take the procedure forward and reject the notice.

The motion was registered at the Parliament Secretariat by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)(UCPN-M) against the president's move to reinstate the army chief, who was "sacked" by the erstwhile cabinet in the UCPN-M-led government.

Nearly all other political parties have opposed it, citing its "unconstitutionality". They maintain that no such motion can be registered against the president.

"In such a situation, taking this motion ahead cannot be acceptable to all," Nembang said.

He said he rejected the motion based on constitutional, legal provisions and based on the past practices.

UCPN-M Chief Whip in the Legislature-Parliament Post Bahadur Bogati, who was present at the meeting that was to decide the fate of the motion, said that his party respected the speaker's decision but it would continue to press for it in the House.

On May 3, President Yadav faxed a special instruction to Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal, asking him to continue in his office, which the UCPN- M leaders termed as unconstitutional and meaningless.

Earlier the same day, UCPN-M-led government decided to sack Katawal without the coalition's consensus.