KATHMANDU, Dec 24: The government has been indecisive about calling the winter session of the federal parliament. The four months from Paush (mid-December to mid-January) to Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) are considered the time of the winter session of parliament. But the government is preparing to call the session only in Magh (mid-January to mid-February). In the meantime, the government has given a clear indication that it will run the government through some ordinances. Law Minister Dhanraj Gurung said in a program held on Saturday that the government will bring an ordinance if necessary to maintain state authority.

The government has not introduced any new bill during this period. Even the bills in the parliamentary committees have not been moved forward. According to an official of the Parliament Secretariat, the disputes over the bills have not been brought out, but the bills have been stuck in the committees in an unusual fashion. Due to such a situation, there is a possibility that the meetings of parliament will have to be adjourned in the winter session which is also known as the Bills Session due to the lack of business. However, even the legislators who have the main responsibility of making laws have not shown much interest in convening the winter session of the Federal Parliament.

Indifferent to law-making, their attention is focused on power, development and foreign travel. As a result, 18 bills are pending in the House of Representatives and three bills in the National Assembly. Most of these bills are stuck with the committees. It seems that the committees have not prioritized resolving the disputes over the bills.

Since November 2, none of the committees in the House of Representatives and the National Assembly have finalized any bills. Speaker Devraj Ghimire requested the committees to finalize the bills on November 27, but the chairpersons have been saying that the meetings could not be held as the MPs were out of the valley.

The chairman of a parliamentary committee said, "Even though the parliamentarians have returned to the valley, the parliamentary committees seem to be more focused on the Ncell share sale case. Speaker Ghimire was also involved in the process of appointing a new general secretary. No one paid much attention to law-making.

Two sessions of parliament have concluded so far this fiscal year. During that period, apart from the Finance Bill, only one bill was passed, so it has been analyzed that the effectiveness of parliament will be seen only if the bills are passed during the winter session of parliament. But analysts argue that if this session also does not work to make laws, parliament will become really dysfunctional.

The government is responsible for providing business to parliament. Therefore, the government should think about it. Experts say that a government that cannot give business to parliament cannot be considered successful. Leaders of the main opposition party, the CPN-UML, say that the government does not focus on lawmaking and only focuses on other issues.

Twelve bills that were inactive in the National Assembly during the previous parliament's tenure, along with bills registered by the government in the prior session, are currently in various committees of the House of Representatives. The Federal Civil Service Bill is yet to be submitted to parliament.

In the previous session, only a bill to amend some Nepali laws related to the Finance Bill and Bill related to loan-sharking, and the Bill to amend some Nepal Acts related to Civil Code 2080 BS were passed.

Four bills are stalled in the State Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. This committee has a bill to amend the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) Act 2066 BS and the Monitoring and Evaluation Bill 2076 BS.

The Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Act (Third Amendment) Bill-2076 BS and Corruption Prevention Act (First Amendment) Bill-2076 BS are stuck in this committee. The bill to amend some of the Nepal Acts brought to amend 79 laws is under discussion in the Legislative Management Committee.

A bill to amend The Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation, 2071 BS (2014) and a bill to amend the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) Act 2066 BS are also pending in the Law Committee.

In the International Relations and Tourism Committee, the Archives Protection (First Amendment) Bill, 2077 BS is under discussion, while the Public Service Broadcasting Bill 2077 BS, the Bill related to Security Printing, the University Bill, and the School Education Bill are stuck at the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee.

 
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