Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed frustration over the delay in passing the Constitutional Council Bill, citing disagreements among top leaders of political parties as the main reason for the holdup.
The MPs made these remarks during a meeting of the State Order and Good Governance Committee on Wednesday, where they discussed amendments to the Constitutional Council (Works, Duties, Rights and Procedures) Act, 2066.
CPN (UML) MP Prithvisubba Gurung stated that while the committee has reached a consensus on most issues related to the bill, the remaining point of disagreement over the quorum for meetings should be resolved at the level of top party leaders.
"Since we could not reach a consensus on the quorum of the meeting and whether the number including the prime minister or the number without the prime minister should be considered as the majority, the matter should be decided by the top leaders," Gurung said.
He added that the bill would be finalized by the committee based on the instructions provided by the top leaders after they reach an agreement.
Nepali Congress MP Hridayaram Thani criticized the Constitutional Council for its alleged practice of favoring certain parties, stating that its work and actions should be based on national consensus. He challenged the government to pass the bill unanimously, expressing concern that decisions may be made unfavorably if the ruling party has a majority.
"The practice of always favoring the Constitutional Council is going on in our tradition. In my opinion, these are the tasks to be done by the Constitutional Council through national consensus," Thani said.
CPN (Unified Socialists) MP Rajendra Prasad Pandey emphasized that the criteria and character of the people appointed to the Constitutional Council should be mentioned in the bill itself, and that the bill should be passed unanimously.
The MPs underscored the importance of passing the bill as soon as possible, urging the top leaders of political parties to resolve their disagreements and provide guidance to the committee.
