KATHMANDU, July 8: The Citizenship Bill 2075 BS, which was stuck in parliament almost for the past four years, has finally been withdrawn. The Citizenship Act Amendment Bill, which had been ‘under consideration’ in the House of Representatives (HoR) since August 7, 2018, was withdrawn from the House on Friday.

In the HoR meeting on Friday, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khan submitted a proposal to withdraw the pending Citizenship Bill as per the decision of the Council of Ministers. Taking part in the discussion on the proposal, the lawmakers had expressed their views on whether to withdraw.

Dr Bhim Bahadur Rawal of the UML argued that the decision to withdraw the bill is against the existing legal principles. He reminded that the constitution has made provisions on citizenship so that all Nepalis get the Nepali citizenship easily while preventing the non-Nepalis from getting it.

UML lawmaker Sher Bahadur Tamang stated that it looks as if this parliament is not going to pass the bill since the bill that had been already discussed by the parliamentary committees has been retracted and a process has been initiated to bring a new one.

CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Aman Lal Modi said that although the bill has been withdrawn, a new bill should be brought to replace it at the earliest. UML lawmaker Ghanshyam Khatiwada said that people who were eagerly waiting to get citizenship on the basis of birth have been dejected with the decision to withdraw the bill.

Home Minister Khand said that the Cabinet meeting to be held today would bring a new bill and the pending bill had been withdrawn. After that, the proposal to withdraw the bill presented by the government was passed by a majority in parliament. 

 
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