Attorney General tells provinces not to jump gun

JANAKPUR, Oct 16: A rift between federal and provincial governments has surfaced yet again after provincial governments came up with some provincial legislation prior to the federal government.

Attorney General Agni Kharel on Sunday directed the provincial governments not to formulate laws before the federal government does so. Kharel's direction comes in the wake of the Province 2 assembly recently endorsing a Provincial Police Service Bill .

“Of course, both the federal parliament and provincial assemblies can work independently . But the spirit of the constitution is that provincial governments should move forward in formulating their laws only after the federal government has formulates its own relevant laws,” he said.

The prime minister, the home minister and Nepal Police had objected strongly when the Province 2 government tabled a bill on provincial police in the provincial assembly some five months ago. But the provincial government did not pay any heed to the objections. The attorney general has objected after the provincial assembly went ahead and endorsed the bill through a majority .

Although the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, supported the bill, lawmakers of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) in the Province 2 assembly objected . The Province 2 assembly had hitherto endorsed all bills unanimously.

Attorney General Kharel said the government is at work to introduce a Federal Police Act in the winter session of parliament that will commence after the Tihar and Chhath festivals. He said that since parliament had to focus on bills related to fundamental rights, the federal police bill could not be expedited.

Kharel said the federal government had not dragged its feet over the federal police bill. “Serious discussions on the bill are currently underway in parliament ,” he said.

 
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