KATHMANDU, AUGUST 11
Reacting to reports in media wondering why President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is delaying giving her assent to the citizenship bill, though she was quick to sign an ordinance that was not very different from the bill, her information and communication expert Tika Prasad Dhakal said the president was consulting stakeholders on the bill.
Dhakal said the president would act on the citizenship bill in accordance with constitutional provisions. He said media trial against the president was unwarranted because the constitution has a provision that gives the president 15 days to mull over a bill passed by the Parliament.
Asked why the president had signed the citizenship ordinance during Oli's premiership without any delay, but was delaying the citizenship bill, Dhakal said, "The president has no constitutional power to reject or return any ordinance proposed by the PM because the ordinance is later examined by the Parliament. However, the constitution allows the president to hold for up to 15 days a bill sent by the Parliament. She can also return the bill with a message to the House where it originated."
He said the president's role in a bill is part of the interactive process of legislation between the head of state and the Parliament in all democracies. "It is also a principle of checks and balance between the two in which the Parliament always has its way. We should accept it, as it is part of the lawmaking process," he added.
Dhakal said leaders needed to rise above party politics to resolve citizenship issues satisfactorily.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 12, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
