Experience sharing program helps bridge the gap among the incumbent and former MPs in Karnali

Surkhet/ October 11

“Please, let’s not repeat words while speaking in the House. It will help save the precious time as well. The best idea could be to prepare and practice the content that will be raised in the House in advance,” shared Krishna Shah, former member of Karnali Provincial Assembly (PA) with new members of the PA during an experience sharing program.

She further shared, “To speak seven minutes in the House, I used to practice the content at least three times looking at the mirror each time. With this practice, I could put my views in the parliament in the given time.” Following her sharing, she suggested ten MPs of Karnali PA who were enthusiastically listening to her to select a topic of their choice and practice speaking within three minutes of time.

The above account gives a picture how former MPs of Karnali PA shared their experience with incumbent MPs, who were assimilating the experience for better and effective performance in the House. Women MPs and MPs representing marginalized groups of Karnali Province have been enhancing their capacity through the learning and sharing sessions on various topic including on core parliamentary functions from the former MPs with different knowledge-building sessions. This was the fourth session organized in Surkhet on October 11. The learning sessions have been conducted by Former Provincial Assembly Members’ Forum, Karnali Province with support from UNDP’s Parliament Support Project (PSP).

Former MPs shared their parliamentary journey including the roles they played in the House, parliamentary committees, lawmaking, oversight, representation along with major challenges and key learnings to the new MPs. They also shared skills and insights on effective presentation in the House and committees, negotiation skills and effectively raising issues of the marginalized communities, among others, in the House.

Members of Karnali PA said that the sharing of experience from the former members of PA has been very useful and significant for their effective role in the parliament. MP Santoshi Shahi Thakuri said the sessions have helped her further boost up her confidence. She got opportunity to learn various things including parliamentary discipline, decorum, types of parliamentary hours for MPs and issues to be raised in the parliament.

MP Kalyani Khadka said the sharing sessions will help them represent the voices of people in the parliament more effectively. “Such sharing sessions will help us for better performance in all fronts of parliamentary affairs. The experience sharing has provided us very good avenue to learn and get insights on various topic from the former MPs.” The sharing helped MPs remain more alert while presenting their views in the parliament. Moreover, such sharing will help MPs make their presentation more effective.

Dala Rawal, Chair of Former Provincial Assembly Members’ Forum, said the learning and experience of the first parliamentary cycle with new MPs will help them further enhance their capacity and effectively voice people’s concerns in the parliament. The platform is a good medium to exchange experience among former and new MPs as it helps new MPs be more familiar with the parliamentary norms and procedures.

Former MP Thammar Bahadur Bista said such practice of sharing experience will contribute to making the parliament more effective and accountable towards people. Four sessions conducted among former and incumbent MPs have helped for effective role of new MPs in the parliament. Recalling the first parliamentary cycle, he said there were many infrastructural, logistical and procedural challenges but the MPs moved ahead overcoming the challenges. Foundation of parliamentary practice was laid in the first parliamentary cycle and new MPs can move forward stepping on the already established foundation.

In the similar vein, Raju Nepali, who was also Chairperson of Social Development Committee of Karnali PA, said she did not speak in the parliament for two months as she was new to the parliamentary system. Realizing that new MPs may have similar experience and to make them more informed about parliamentary affairs, the experience sharing sessions were organized to further enhance their capacity. “If I were new member of Karnali Provincial Assembly now, I could play more effective role in the parliament,” she said. She recalled that participatory lawmaking was challenging then, and UNDP’s Parliament Support Project (PSP) had supported the PA for public consultations on different bills including Food Sovereignty Bill, Cooperative Bill. She acknowledged PSP’s support to different parliamentary functions of Karnali PA during the first parliamentary cycle. “UNDP has remarkably supported us and hope that it will continue to provide similar support to the parliament in the days to come.”

Of total 40 members of Karnali Provincial Assembly, 36 are new. Of 36 new members of Karnali PA, 15 are women.

The experience sharing among MPs and former MPs has provided a good platform to women MPs and MPs from marginalized groups to have honest discussions on their experiences, lessons learned, and challenges in the committee and the parliament. Furthermore, they understood and identified issues that inhibit women’s as well as marginalized groups’ leadership in the parliaments. This would help support improved capacity of women and marginalized groups in parliamentary affairs. It also helps initiate dialogue and networking among women MPs and MPs from marginalized groups in the PA together with motivating new MPs through the experiences of the former ones.