Sudurpaschim UML Lawmaker Pathak Says Party Might as Well Remove Him as an MP

Dhangadhi: CPN-UML Provincial Assembly member Dharma Raj Pathak, who boycotted the Provincial Assembly meeting convened to pass the budget, said he stayed away because irregularities and mismanagement in the budget had already been acknowledged. He noted that both Chief Minister Khagaraj Bhatta and Minister for Economic Affairs Chakra Bahadur Malla had admitted to the problems.

“Since everyone has already acknowledged the irregularities and mismanagement in the budget, I chose not to participate—why should I be a witness to it?” Pathak said. “The Chief Minister himself, while chairing a meeting of the parliamentary party, initiated a decision to investigate the budget. Even the Minister for Economic Affairs has admitted that there was wrongdoing.”

Pathak also commented on the CPN-UML’s decision to remove him as Chairperson of the Social Development Committee and initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.

“I don’t even know whether I am still the Chairperson of the Social Development Committee,” he said. “I have heard that the parliamentary party has taken disciplinary action and removed me. It seems our leaders don’t even know the proper procedure for removing a Chairperson.”

He said he had even suggested several options to the party leadership regarding his removal from the position.

“If the party’s central leadership simply removes me from my position as an MP, that would settle the matter entirely,” Pathak said. “Alternatively, if they were to appoint me as a minister, I would naturally lose the Chairperson position. Or, the members of the committee could simply vote to remove me by a majority.”

Following Pathak’s boycott of the Provincial Assembly meeting convened to pass the budget, the CPN-UML decided to remove him as Chairperson of the Social Development Committee and sent a formal letter to the Speaker.