Kathmandu, August 7

Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties today told the parliamentary State Affairs and Good Governance Committee that the state should not hide any information from the public. They said this during clause-wise discussion on the right to privacy bill.

Former Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang, who represents the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) said public figures including ministers, government employees, lawmakers, judges and security personnel, should not be allowed to hide information.

“For example: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s right to privacy is limited because he is a public figure. The day he will act merely as a citizen, his right to privacy won’t be limited,” he told the panel’s meeting.  He said the bill should make distinction between natural persons and public persons.

Media and press organisations have opposed the bill’s contents, saying they were restrictive and they could be used by the government to victimise the press.

Tamang said there should be no restriction to report on the conduct of public persons.

“Democracy is all about accountability and transparency. If the government does not follow this while making a law, there will be no democracy,” he added.

Tamang said the right to privacy bill should not be the main law, rather other bills that dealt with press freedom should be the main law.  “This bill suggests that this will be the main law but the opposite should happen,” Tamang said.

Another NCP (NCP) lawmaker Parvati Bishunkhe, who has registered an amendment to the bill along with Anjana Bishunkhe, said public persons should not be allowed to hide information related to their assets. “People want public officers to declare their assets before joining public office and after retiring from service,” she said.

She further said journalists were being governed by their Code of Conduct and there should be no restriction for journalists in the bill.

Talking about his amendment proposal, NCP (NCP) lawmaker Surya Prasad Pathak also said that public officers should not be allowed to hide information related to their assets. “If public persons are allowed to hide information, there will be no democratic ethics and values,” he said.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Divya Mani Raj Bhandari, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party lawmaker Prem Suwal, NCP (NCP) lawmakers Lal Bahadur Thapa, Narad Muni Rana and Yashoda Gurung Subedi also highlighted the need for allowing access to information related to public persons.

NCP (NCP) lawmaker Rekha Sharma said the bill needed to define who the public persons were.

After listening to the lawmakers’ amendment proposals, Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa said the bill could be amended if required.

Lawmakers have registered 31 proposals to amend the right to privacy bill, some of which seek immunity for journalists when reporting or commenting on issues of public importance and conduct of serving and retired public officers.