KATHMANDU, April 3: The meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) has passed amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives 2079 BS with majority of votes.
The meeting of the House of Representatives on Sunday passed the report of the House of Representatives Rules Drafting Committee with necessary amendments. Although the draft regulation committee submitted it to the House of Representatives on February 16, the parliament meeting could not be held due to disputes between the ruling party and the opposition after the ruling party withdrew its support.
After the election of the President and Vice President, the process of theoretical discussion and registration of amendment proposals was started on the draft submitted by the Rules Drafting Committee. Considering the 18 amendments made on the report of the Rules Drafting Committee, some proposals of the amendment proposal have been included. However, the amendments put forward to curtail the powers of the Speaker were withdrawn by those filing the amendments. On Sunday, the parliamentarians participated in the discussion on the draft report of the regulation.
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After the majority of the House passed the regulation, now the regulation will be implemented. Earlier, the meeting was conducted according to the rules of the House of Representatives 2075 BS. In the next meeting, the meeting will be conducted according to the new regulations. As the regulations have been passed, the way for the formation of parliamentary committees has been opened. The committee could not be formed because the regulations were not made in time. Ten committees have been arranged in the regulations that have been passed. On behalf of the Chairman of the House of Representatives Rules Drafting Committee, Chitra Bahadur KC, the member of the committee, Ramesh Lekhak, submitted the proposal for the rules to be passed. Only Prem Suwal of Nepal Workers Peasants Party voted against the regulation.
In the regulations, it is mentioned that the agenda should be published a day before the meeting and the agenda should be published an hour before the day of the meeting of HoR. This time will be provided to talk about the events that happened between the previous parliament meeting and the next parliament meeting.
Provisions have been made in the regulations that the bill registered in the parliament, the amendments made to the bill in the parliament and the agenda must now be kept on the website. Similarly, although the parliament meeting can be held virtually, the committee meeting was not included in the law. However, in this regulation, it is mentioned that if necessary, the meeting of the committee can be held virtually with the permission of the speaker. Despite the fact that the committee held a virtual meeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they could not receive the meeting allowance because it was not mentioned in the rules.
Permission has also been given to the Former MP’s Forum Nepal (FMPFN) to provide suggestions in the Parliament. Arrangements have been made to set up a women's coordination committee within the parliament to decide collective views on gender and inclusion issues. It has been arranged that a coordinator can be appointed from the female MP. In the draft regulation, there was a provision that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker could preside. No separate remuneration will be available to this coordination committee.
According to the regulations, the responsibility of the deputy speaker has been added in the new parliament. In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can also summon, initiate and adjourn the meeting of the House of Representatives. Before the meeting of the House of Representatives, the rules of the House of Representatives stipulate that the meeting of the Task Management Branch should be held regularly. Previously, the meeting of the Task Management Branch was held only when the Speaker deemed it necessary. By adding sub-rule 4 in rule 13, it is mentioned that the meeting of the Task Management Branch as per sub-rule 1 shall be held before the meeting, during the meeting and as per necessity even when the meeting is not being held.
If the impeachment proposal is registered in the Parliament at the end of the term of the House of Representatives and it cannot be decided through the fast process, it is arranged that the next Parliament that will come after the election can make a decision. Now, if the impeachment is registered when the tenure of the House of Representatives is less than five months, such a proposal can be decided by following the speedy procedure determined by the Speaker in consultation with the Task Management Branch. In the same way, there is in the regulation what to do if there is not enough time to finalize the impeachment. It is mentioned that the House of Representatives, which will be formed after the election, will make the necessary decisions about this.
According to the regulations, a member of parliament will be suspended if the court sends him/her to prison for a criminal charge. Earlier, there was a system of suspension and dismissal only after the final judgment of the court. Similarly, the provision of lobby reporting for journalists in the Parliament for the first time has also been kept in the House of Representatives regulations. While arrangements are being made for journalists in the media center and the auditorium, now they will have access to the lobby for reporting on the meeting of the Task Management Branch. In the draft of the regulations, the word "officer" referring to the Secretary General and the Secretary has been removed from the Parliament Secretariat. A provision has been made to adjourn the meeting if two hours have passed since the Parliament meeting cannot be held at the appointed time. If the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker become vacant, another election should be held within 15 days. In the event that the convention is not held, there is a provision that the election will be held within 15 days of the convention.
