Opposition Parties Oppose Constitutional Council Bill Provisions in Nepal Parliament

Lawmakers from the opposition parties in the Nepali Parliament have expressed their concerns and objections to the provisions of the First Amendment Bill Relating to the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers, and Procedures). The bill has been passed by the National Assembly but is yet to be debated in the House of Representatives. The opposition parties, including CPN-MC, CPN (US), and Nepali Congress, are worried that the bill's provisions would give arbitrary power to the prime minister and dilute the majority decision-making process in the Constitutional Council. They are demanding a thorough debate in the House to modify the bill and ensure that the CC makes decisions in a fair and transparent manner.

Key Takeaways:

• The Constitutional Council (CC) is a six-member body, and its decisions are meant to be based on discussion, consensus, and collective responsibility.
• The original bill passed by the House of Representatives stated that if the chair of the CC and at least 50 per cent of the currently serving members are present, the meeting shall be deemed to have met the required quorum.
• The National Assembly made changes to the bill's quorum-related provisions, proposing that if the chairperson and only two members are present, then even the chairperson and just one other member's consent would be enough to make decisions.
• CPN-MC lawmakers Barshaman Pun, Madhav Sapkota, and Narayani Sharma opposed the quorum-related provision of the bill, saying that it could give arbitrary power to the prime minister.
• NC Chief Whip in the HoR Shyam Kumar Ghimire said there was some misunderstanding in the bill and it could be passed by the House as returned by the NA.
• The bill was passed by the HoR on March 31 and sent to the National Assembly, which passed it on June 13, returning it to the Lower House.

Statistics:

• The Constitution Council (CC) has a total of six members.
• The original bill stated that if the chair of the CC and at least 50 per cent of the currently serving members are present, the meeting shall be deemed to have met the required quorum.
• The National Assembly changed the bill's quorum-related provisions, proposing that if the chairperson and only two members are present, then even the chairperson and just one other member's consent would be enough to make decisions.
• March 31: The bill was passed by the House of Representatives.
• June 13: The National Assembly passed the bill and returned it to the Lower House.

Sources:

• The Himalayan Times Media Entertainment and Tech Ltd (Copyright 2025), distributed by Contify.com