Kathmandu. Speaker Devraj Ghimire has called on the parties participating in the parliament to maintain party consensus through dialogue and cooperation to uphold the dignity of the parliament and move forward unitedly in addressing the expectations of the people.

Expressing best wishes on the occasion of Parliament Day, 2082 today (Monday), Speaker Ghimire expressed gratitude for the contribution of the free press, civil society and conscious citizens towards making the parliament more effective, responsible and accountable to the people.

Parliament Day is celebrated every year on Asad 16 to commemorate the meeting of the first elected House of Representatives in Nepal. Speaker Ghimire said that today is also a day to remember democracy, constitutionalism, people’s rights and the responsibility of people’s representatives towards the people.

Stating that the parliament is a major institution that exercises the sovereignty of the people, he said that the core spirit of democracy lies in people’s participation.

The message states, “In the governance system, important tasks such as policy formulation, law formulation and effective monitoring of implementation are carried out through the parliament. The parliament ensures policies and laws in accordance with the will of the people through managerial procedures.”

He mentioned that the constitution has made provision to present all tax-related proposals in the assembly, respecting the democratic principle that taxes should not be imposed without the consent of the people. He said that the basic essence of the democratic governance system is dialogue, cooperation and consensus. He said that despite the differences in views, perspectives and priorities among various political parties, party consensus on issues of common national concern is necessary and inevitable. He said that the parliament should become a place of dialogue, not debate.

On the historic occasion of Parliament Day, he also remembered the contribution of political warriors while paying emotional tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the movement for achieving parliamentary democracy. (RSS)