Kathmandu, Jan 9:
Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said any decision to be made disregarding the rights of the Prime Minister, who holds a majority, will not be applicable.
During a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, the House of Representatives in the discussions over the bill to revise the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) Act, 2066 (2010) BS, the Government Spokesperson advised to correct the system without focusing on any specific individual.
Responding to concerns raised during discussions on the Bill, Minister Sharma urged participants to work together to strengthen the bill, emphasizing the importance of seeking solutions through consensus without scrutinizing individual characters. She proposed exploring good practices and alternatives, highlighting that advanced democracy provides viable alternatives to traditional democratic approaches.
The bill’s primary focus is on revising the Council’s decision-making procedures and quorum requirements. Some members advocated for provisions allowing decisions to be made in the presence of a majority, including the chair. They argued that Council members should fulfill both constitutional responsibilities and other duties associated with their positions to maintain the integrity of the Council. There was a consensus on ending the trend of some members regularly failing to attend meetings.
Certain members suggested making it legally mandatory for individuals holding distinguished posts to show due respect to the Constitution and democracy.
“Some members continue to bypass the meeting regularly have posed challenges in the functioning of the Council,” they said, assessing that the mindset that an individual is above the rule hinders the institutionalization of democracy.
Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, secretary at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs stressed on the need of a wider participations of members in the meeting to make its functioning smooth and effective.
Committee members highlighted that the aim of the bill is to address potential adversities arising from the dynamic involving various parties within the government and those holding majority positions in the Council. Although the proposed amendment does not differ significantly in substance, it strives for linguistic clarity, it is said.
During the meeting, authority was granted to senior members in the committee representing the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Centre), and the Rastriya Swatantra Party to collaborate and reach a consensus on the bill. Following the completion of theoretical discussions, the committee has initiated clause-wise deliberations on the proposed amendments.
Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)
