The revelation that unauthorized alterations were made in the final draft of a bill already passed by Nepal’s federal parliament —has dealt a severe blow to the soul of democracy. It is now glaringly evident that behind-the-scenes power centers colluded to nullify the provision of a “cooling-off period” in the civil service bill. To dismiss this as a mere procedural mistake is, in itself, an audacious and deceptive maneuver.
Clause 82(5)(a), inserted into the Federal Civil Service Bill, directly opens the door for exempting constitutional and diplomatic appointments from the cooling-off period. This clause effectively cancels out Clause 82(4), which had been inserted through unanimous agreement by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee. The quiet insertion of the term “except” reveals the existence of an organized scheme within the Parliament itself, aiming to override the collective will of elected representatives.
This incident has triggered serious doubts and outrage toward Parliament, its members, and bureaucrats. The involvement of the committee secretary, parliamentary secretary-general, the Chief Secretary, and officials from related ministries in the drafting process—combined with the political pressure exerted by ruling parties and the shielding provided by powerful actors—turns this from a “regrettable mistake” into the epitome of a legislative conspiracy.
This move appears to be a calculated effort to institutionalize corruption, favoritism, and nepotism—allowing recently retired or resigned civil servants to re-enter the core of policymaking through constitutional or diplomatic appointments. Such manipulations have not only diminished the dignity of Parliament but also further eroded public trust in the state.
The role of some top leaders of the ruling parties—such as Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli—has come under serious scrutiny. Yet, they remain silent. Is this silence an admission of guilt? If so, it reveals their true commitment to democratic values and institutional integrity.
True, the error in the bill can still be corrected through amendment in the National Assembly. But the issue here is not merely technical—it is about the invisible meddling and manipulation that occurred. If the very decision of Parliament can be tampered with by its own secretariat, one must question whether Parliament still holds any real authority.
Thus, brushing aside this matter as human error would be dangerously irresponsible. The chairperson, secretary, secretary-general of the committee, and relevant ministry officials must all be brought within the purview of a parliamentary special investigation committee. Whoever is found guilty must be held accountable—without exception.
If Parliament remains silent today, all future legislation will fall prey to suspicion and manipulation. The soul of Parliament will vanish. More than amending the bill, the immediate priority is to restore Parliament’s integrity. This is a battle to defend the sovereign decisions of Parliament and the people. If Parliament loses this battle today, democracy will have no defenders tomorrow.
#CoolingOffPeriod #LegislativeConspiracy
