PM Dahal insists on wider accountability to implement Constitution

Kathmandu, Sept 4: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said the government prioritized the enactments of remaining laws as demanded by the Constitution. In a meeting of the National Assembly today, the Prime Minister addressed the study report on laws remained to be formulated in accordance with the Constitution. “The government is proactive in building legal structures required to establish a rule of law by institutionalizing democratic republic,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the government, parliament and stakeholders concerned to make citizens experience good governance, development and prosperity though the effective enforcement of the Constitution. As he informed, the upper house that since the promulgation of the Constitution, 191 acts (new and revised) have been formulated.

Likewise, specific attention has been given to the formulations of acts to implement the fundamental rights while 15 bills are currently under parliamentary proceedings. The government is preparing to present the Federal Civil Service Bill, Education Bill and so on to the Federal Parliament in the near future, according to the Prime Minister. He took time to apprise the House that the government was working on such bills that were turned inactive due to the expiry of the previous term of the parliament so as to reintroduce such documents in the House. “Regarding the citizenship law as pointed out in the report of the Legislative Management Committee, the Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Act, 2079 BS, which was issued after being certificated on 21 May, 2023, has paved the way for the implementation of the constitutional right relating to citizenship,” he said.

For making the legal aid effective and keeping up with the federal structure, the government has issued the integrated legal aid policy, 2076 BS. “The government is actively working to prepare and present a separate bill related to free legal aid in the parliament as per the policy adopted by the constitution and the government. The process to amend the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Elimination) Act, 2071 BS has started.” He also informed the House that the National Land Commission is at work to implement the constitutional provision to provide land to the landless squatters.

The bills including the Media Council Bill, the Mass Communications Bill and the Information Technology Bill are being prepared, and the Bill to amend some Nepal Acts relating to the registration and regulation of online media has been included, he informed. To ensure job opportunities to citizens, the Right to Employment Act, 2075 is being implemented, and the government has launched various employment programmes including the Prime Minister Employment Programme, according to the PM. Acknowledging that although it has been around eight years since the passage of the Constitution of Nepal, many laws have not been made in line with the constitution, the PM said study carried out by the Legislative Management Committee, and suggestions and recommendations based on the study would be an important guideline to the government to make laws.