Kathmandu, Nepal, September 6, 2022: The Citizenship Act has been sent to the president Bidya Devi Bhandari for authentication after both the houses of the federal parliament passed it for the second time without any change. Speaker Agni Sapkota sent the amendment bill to the President’s Office on Monday.
Gopal Nath Yogi, secretary for the House of Representatives (HoR) has also confirmed that officials of the HoR have presented the bill at the President’s Office.
President Bhandari had returned the bill sent to her for authentication to the lower house on August 14 along with a 15-point suggestion expressing concerns over some provisions of the act. However, both the houses endorsed the bill without any changes.
As both the houses of the federal parliament endorsed the bill without any changes, president has no option than authentication.
As per the Article 133 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal, president can return any bill to the House of its origin with suggestions. But, Article 133(4) of the same constitution has made a provision that the president has to authenticate the bill within 15 days after it is endorsed, with or without change from the parliament.
Concerning over the endorsement of the bill from the HoR without even discussion on her concerns, she had consulted with the leaders of the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Janata Samajbadi Party and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. During the meeting she had expressed her dissatisfaction for the endorsement without even discussion on her concerns.
The five party ruling allies had decided not to hold even discussion in the parliament citing the reasons that it was endorsed with overwhelming majority votes from the representatives of the sovereign people realizing to the necessity to make amendment on the bill.
There is a speculation that the president might resign or delay to authenticate seeking the Supreme Court’s opinion. During the meeting, she had hinted to resign.
