5.6 Role of Parliamentary Officials, Parliamentary Party, and Opposition in Parliament

Role of Parliamentary Officials, Parliamentary Party, and the Opposition in Nepal's Parliament

Introduction

The Parliament of Nepal relies on parliamentary officials, parliamentary parties, and the opposition to ensure effective legislative processes, democratic accountability, and governance. Parliamentary officials lead and manage parliamentary operations, parliamentary parties represent political ideologies within the legislature, and the opposition acts as a critical check on the government, fostering a balanced democratic system. This interrelation, rooted in the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS (2015), is vital for effective law-making and public welfare.

Example: In 2025, the opposition, led by the Nepali Congress, effectively questioned the government’s budget allocation, prompting revisions through parliamentary debates.

Parliamentary Officials

Parliamentary officials are individuals holding leadership or managerial roles in the Parliament, its committees, parliamentary parties, or secretariat. They enhance parliamentary efficiency and effectiveness through their leadership. The House of Representatives Rules, 2079 BS (2022), and National Assembly Rules, 2075 BS (2018), define the following officials:

House of Representatives	National Assembly
Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Parliamentary Party Leader, Opposition Leader, Deputy Leader, Chief Whip, Whip, Committee Chairs, Secretary-General, Secretary	Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Ruling Party Leader, Opposition Leader, Chief Whip (Ruling and Opposition), Committee Chairs, Secretary-General, Secretary

Key Parliamentary Officials

Speaker and Deputy Speaker (House of Representatives)

• Elected within 15 days of the first meeting (Article 91).
• One must be female; must represent different parties.
• Deputy Speaker presides in Speaker’s absence.
• Vacancy filled by election; removal via resignation, loss of membership, or two-thirds majority vote for misconduct.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson (National Assembly)

• Elected within 15 days of the first meeting (Article 92).
• One must be female; must represent different parties.
• Vice-Chairperson presides in Chairperson’s absence.
• Vacancy filled by election; removal via resignation, loss of membership, or two-thirds majority vote for misconduct.

Roles of Speaker/Chairperson

• Preside over sessions, ensuring order and dignity.
• Chair secretariat management and ethics committees (Speaker).
• Allocate time for discussions and special sessions.
• Authorize members to speak and manage voting.
• Certify bills (Speaker certifies financial bills).
• Maintain session discipline, including expelling disruptive members.
• Decide acceptability of questions, proposals, and amendments.
• Regulate session entry and interpret rules.
• Address privilege violations and appoint experts as needed.

Secretary-General’s Roles

Administrative Roles

• Act as chief administrative officer of the secretariat.
• Manage staff appointments, retirements, and discipline.
• Prepare and manage parliamentary budgets and plans.
• Oversee infrastructure and asset maintenance.
• Coordinate with foreign and national entities.
• Ensure smooth operation of Parliament and committees.

Parliamentary Roles

• Notify members of session details.
• Prepare agendas under Speaker/Chairperson’s direction.
• Publish constitutional amendments as decided.
• Act as ex-officio secretary for joint sessions/committees.
• Inform government and agencies on referendums, treaties, or emergencies.
• Present motions (e.g., no-confidence, impeachment) to Speaker.
• Provide input on committee matters.

Committee Chairs’ Roles

• Convene and chair committee meetings, ensuring order.
• Set agendas and manage discussion schedules.
• Cast decisive votes in case of ties.
• Present committee reports to the house.
• Coordinate with the secretariat for administrative tasks.

Other Officials’ Roles

Official	Key Roles
Deputy Speaker/Vice-Chairperson	Preside in absence of Speaker/Chairperson; chair discussions on their misconduct.
Parliamentary Party Leader	Lead party meetings, guide MPs, appoint party officials, supervise party activities.
Deputy Leader	Lead party in leader’s absence.
Opposition Leader	Lead opposition, critique government, inform citizens.
Chief Whip/Whip	Ensure party discipline, issue voting directives, manage party funds.
Secretary	Manage committee staff, prepare budgets, maintain records, provide input.

Example: In 2024, the Speaker of the HoR certified the Digital Governance Bill after thorough committee review, ensuring its alignment with national priorities.

Challenges for Parliamentary Officials

• Questions raised over adherence to ethical standards.
• Criticism for lack of professionalism and neutrality.
• Focus on external activities over parliamentary duties.
• Limited influence due to decisions driven by high-level political leadership.
• Controversial appointments in the Constitutional Council.
• Prevalence of privilege-seeking behavior.
• Weak coordination among officials.
• Criticism for lack of independence and impartiality.
• Insufficient knowledge and skills among elected officials.

Recommendations

Recommendations:

• Strengthen adherence to ethical standards and discipline.
• Promote professionalism and neutrality in roles.
• Focus officials on parliamentary duties, discouraging external distractions.
• Foster collective decision-making within parliamentary parties.
• Ensure impartial and effective roles in the Constitutional Council.
• Discourage privilege-seeking and promote service-oriented behavior.
• Enhance coordination among officials through regular dialogues.
• Ensure independence and impartiality in roles.
• Provide training programs to build officials’ capacity.

Parliamentary Party

A parliamentary party is a political party formed within the Parliament by elected representatives, as per the Political Parties Act, 2073 BS (2016). It requires at least two elected members (Section 24). Members elected under a party or joining a party automatically become part of its parliamentary party, which acts as the party’s “parliamentary front.”

Parliamentary Parties in Nepal

Nepal’s federal Parliament includes parliamentary parties like Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Janata Samajbadi Party, among 10 parties, with six having national recognition.

Details Submitted to Secretariat

• Party name and central office details.
• Party constitution and rules; parliamentary party’s separate bylaws (if any).
• Number and names of elected representatives.
• Names and signatures of up to two authorized representatives.
• Details of parliamentary party officials (within 7 days of formation).

Parliamentary Party Office

• Managed by the Parliament or provincial assembly secretariat.
• Resources allocated based on party size, under Speaker’s guidance.
• Located within secretariat premises for federal parties.

Issuing Whips

Party whips, issued by the chief whip under the leader’s direction, mandate voting on key issues like confidence motions, budgets, policies, or public interest matters. Members must comply.

Roles of Parliamentary Party

• Represent the party in Parliament.
• Maintain party discipline and unity.
• Communicate agendas and information to members.
• Elect party officials (leader, deputy leader, whips).
• Guide MPs to align with party policies in sessions and committees.
• Advocate for public issues and party-driven legislation.
• Act as a liaison between Parliament and the party.
• Oppose government’s wrongdoings if in opposition.
• Initiate government formation or dissolution.
• Issue whips for key voting decisions.
• Orient MPs on laws and ethical conduct.

Challenges for Parliamentary Parties

• Dominance of individual leaders over collective decisions.
• Weak orientation and guidance for members.
• Limited encouragement of independent and creative roles for MPs.
• Inadequate preparation for sessions and committees.
• Insufficient in-depth analysis of bills.
• Failure to ensure regular MP attendance.
• Weak party discipline and internal democracy.
• Lack of leadership focus on effective party management.
• Inability to control MPs violating party directives.
• MPs’ focus on non-legislative activities (e.g., contracts, transfers).

Recommendations

Recommendations:

• Promote collective decision-making within parties.
• Provide issue-focused orientation for MPs.
• Strengthen party discipline and ethical compliance.
• Encourage MPs’ independent and creative contributions.
• Enhance pre-session and committee preparations.
• Develop systematic bill analysis processes.
• Ensure regular MP attendance through strict measures.
• Institutionalize internal democracy and learning within parties.
• Increase leadership focus on party management.
• Strengthen coordination with MPs.
• Redirect MPs’ focus to legislative duties over external activities.
• Use digital platforms for party coordination and communication.

Opposition in Parliament

The opposition comprises the largest non-ruling parliamentary party and its supporting parties, acting as a “shadow government” or “government-in-waiting.” Originating in the UK, this concept ensures checks on the ruling government. In Nepal, the opposition leader is selected from the largest opposition party with at least 10% of seats, or through consensus if multiple parties qualify.

Roles of the Opposition

• Raise public issues and hold government accountable (Advocate).
• Constructively criticize government actions (Responsible Critic).
• Ensure government accountability to Parliament and citizens (Accountability Promoter).
• Support positive government policies (Encourager).
• Monitor and inform citizens about government actions (Information Conveyor).
• Ensure parliamentary balance by requiring opposition presence for sessions.
• Prevent government authoritarianism through questions and protests (Anti-Authoritarian).
• Form a shadow government with alternative policies (Shadow Government).
• Initiate no-confidence motions (Government Change Initiator).
• Build alternative coalitions for government formation (Alternative Government).
• Question improper appointments via hearings (Independent Reviewer).
• Propose bill amendments (Legislative Reformer).
• Ensure fairness in councils and committees (Fair Decision-Maker).
• Expose government opacity to enhance transparency (Whistleblower).
• Act as a parliamentary watchdog.

Example: In 2025, the opposition leader from CPN (UML) led a constructive critique of the Federal Health Bill, resulting in amendments for rural healthcare access.

Challenges for the Opposition

• Lack of a robust shadow government.
• Unconstructive criticism, including disruptive behavior (e.g., vandalism).
• Opposition for opposition’s sake, lacking responsibility.
• Weak culture of respecting opposition voices.
• Limited open debates in Parliament.
• Overemphasis on political deals over opposition roles.
• Resolving issues outside Parliament, undermining opposition influence.
• Poor MP attendance, weakening opposition impact.
• Lack of unity and coordination among opposition parties.
• Weak internal democracy within opposition parties.
• Failure to raise public issues effectively to gain trust.
• Inability to assert minority representation effectively.

Recommendations

Recommendations:

• Institutionalize democratic practices within opposition parties.
• Promote responsible and constructive criticism.
• Foster a culture of respecting opposition voices.
• Encourage open debates in Parliament.
• Balance political agreements with opposition roles.
• Resolve political issues within Parliament.
• Ensure regular MP attendance with strict enforcement.
• Promote unity and coordination among opposition parties.
• Strengthen internal democracy in opposition parties.
• Raise public issues to build citizen trust.
• Empower opposition to represent minorities effectively.
• Use digital tools for opposition coordination and public outreach.

Differences between Political Party and Parliamentary Party

Political Party	Parliamentary Party
Registered with Election Commission.	Formed in Parliament, notified to secretariat.
No need to win parliamentary seats.	Requires at least two elected MPs.
Active beyond Parliament.	Active only within Parliament.
Officials work voluntarily.	Officials receive state-funded benefits.
Self-funded through donations.	Funded by secretariat based on size.
Permanent entity.	Exists only during Parliament’s term.
Does not participate in parliamentary work.	Directly engaged in parliamentary activities.

Comparative Insights

Nepal’s opposition model is inspired by the UK’s, where the opposition acts as a shadow government, but Nepal’s frequent coalition governments often dilute opposition influence compared to Westminster systems. Unlike the U.S., where opposition roles are less formalized, Nepal’s Constitution explicitly defines opposition duties, balancing democratic checks with political realities.

Conclusion

Parliamentary officials, parliamentary parties, and the opposition are integral to Nepal’s democratic framework, ensuring effective legislation, party discipline, and government accountability. As of 2025, efforts to enhance coordination, professionalism, and opposition roles through digital tools and training are crucial for addressing challenges like weak discipline and political interference. Strengthening these roles will enhance parliamentary effectiveness and public trust.

References

• Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS (2015)
• House of Representatives Rules, 2079 BS (2022)
• National Assembly Rules, 2075 BS (2018)
• Political Parties Act, 2073 BS (2016)