President Ram Chandra Paudel has been consulting with constitutional experts and lawyers for the past few days, as he faces mounting pressure from the ruling parties to certify the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was passed by both houses of federal parliament but put on hold by the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Ruling party leaders, including Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, are calling for President Paudel to authenticate the bill, which has been passed by parliament twice, but this is problematic and must be examined closely. As a newspaper, we believe that the government should register a bill in parliament again and proceed with the due process. The amendment to the existing Citizenship Act should only be made through deliberations by the sovereign representatives of the people as people have elected their new representatives.
The issue first arose seven months ago when the then President Bhandari did not authenticate the Citizenship Bill, which was repeatedly passed by parliament. It is important to note that the constitution requires the president to authenticate any bill that is passed by both houses of parliament, and failure to do so constitutes a violation of the constitution. It is unfortunate to see that top leaders of the ruling alliance are inciting President Paudel to repeat this violation of the constitution by putting undue pressure on him to certify the bill, which has been pending for months. The constitution of Nepal is the cornerstone of the institutional development of the Federal Democratic Republic system in the country, and any attempt to undermine its provisions for political gains must be discouraged. The government's request for the president to directly certify the Citizenship Bill is problematic. Such a move does not promote the rule of law—a basic value of a democratic government.
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It is essential to remember that the Citizenship Act affects the lives of countless Nepalis and should not be used for political gains. The act guarantees citizenship to all eligible citizens of the country, and any attempt to manipulate it for political purposes will exacerbate the citizenship problem in the country. Moreover, it will create political polarization and sow the seeds of strife in the country for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid making the same mistake twice. As a newspaper, we believe the government should register the bill in parliament and proceed with the proper process. Laws should be made only through the deliberations of the sovereign representatives of the people. In this process, the aim should be to find a one-stop solution to all the problems related to citizenship.
We urge all political parties to prioritize the interests of the citizens and the nation over party interests. As the new bill is being discussed in parliament, it is equally important to address the inconsistencies in Nepal's citizenship laws compared to international standards. The Sovereign Parliament should ensure that the bill is not passed hastily, as was done with the previous bill. It is crucial to avoid repeating the same mistake and to uphold the provisions of the constitution. The government should register the citizenship amendment bill in parliament again and follow the proper process. The amendment to the existing Citizenship Act should only be made through deliberations by the sovereign representatives of the people, with the aim of finding a one-stop solution to all the problems related to citizenship.
