Kathmandu, August 27

The  government has registered 16 out of 17 bills related to fundamental laws  at the parliament till today.

The only bill remaining to be registered at the Parliament is the right against torture. There are 31 fundamental rights and duties in the constitution. Out of them 17 new laws are required to take it to 31 fundamental right related laws.

According to the Nepal’s constitution, which was promulgated in September 2015, all the  fundamental laws related bills should be promulgated before midnight of September 19. Article 47 of the constitution says that the state  shall, as required, make legal provisions for the implementation of the  rights conferred by this part within three years of the commencement of  this constitution. Otherwise the government should amend the  constitution for further process.

The government started to register the law related bills only a few months before. “There  is only one fundamental law related bill registered in the Parliament,” Deputy-Spokesperson of Law, Justice and Parliamentary  Affairs Ministry Hum Bahadur KC said, adding, the only remaining bill to be registered bill is the right against torture.

He further said  the government is in the mood to come up with fundamental rights related  laws on time, but it all depends on the Parliament now. “The government  will register the remaining bills within some days,” he said. The  registered bills which in process at the Parliament are right  to social justice, right to social security, right of victim of crime, right against preventive detention, right against exploitation, right to  clean environment, rights of child, rights of women, rights of senior  citizens, rights of Dalit, right related to food, right to privacy, right to employment, right to health, right to property and right to  housing.

“The bills which were registered in the House are in  the process of becoming laws,” Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal  Parliament Kesab Aryal said, adding, some of them have been sent to the related thematic committees. He said if the government goes through the  process for a bill to pass and become law, it will take at least 20  days through the normal process. He added if it is fast-tracked, it  can become law even within a day.” He said that if the Parliament  goes through the normal process, these bill will not become laws by  September 19.

Bills need careful scrutiny: Thapa

KATHMANDU: The main opposition Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa is not happy with the way the government has drafted the bills of fundamental laws.

He said those bills have many mistakes. “Those bills registered in the Parliament were not drafted with proper discussion with related people,” he said, adding, that’s the reason behind registering amendments to most of the bills. He said these bills were not like other laws. “They should be discussed and corrected. It will be a disaster if the Parliament tries to fast-track the process,” he said.

He added that the government couldn’t say it didn’t have enough time. He added, “These bills related to fundamental laws should not be passed without proper discussion.”