Nepal Parliament Erupts as PM Shah Faces Backlash Over Absence and Ordinance Rule | WION

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]All right, moving on to more updates from around the world. Nepal's House of Representatives witnessed heated protest on Thursday when Prime Minister Balendra Shah failed to appear for discussions on the government's annual policy and program.

[00:00:14]The opposition lawmakers from parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Shram Sanskrati Party obstructed proceedings, chanting slogans, and demanding Shah's presence.

[00:00:28]The disruption began after Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle was slated to respond on Shah's behalf, with critics arguing that parliamentary tradition requires the Prime Minister to answer directly.

[00:00:42]The controversy intensified following the Supreme Court's recent orders suspending Shah's ordinance-backed bans on student politics and civil service trade unions. That's a major legal reversal for his government.

[00:00:56]Shah also faced protest from several groups after his anti-encroachment drives evicted many communities.

[00:01:04]While Nepali Congress boycotted him over absence on sensitive security and governance issues.

[00:01:12]Shah's continued absence from the house during a critical policy debate has sparked criticism from opposition leaders and parliamentary experts who say it weakens long-standing norms of direct executive accountability.

[00:01:26]Lawmakers pointed out that under Nepal's parliamentary convention, the Prime Minister is traditionally expected to personally address questions on the government's plans and policies.

[00:01:37]After the uproar, speaker of Nepal's parliament is now under pressure to secure Shah's attendance in order to uphold the credibility and proper functioning of legislature.

[00:02:01]>> Oh.