There is a set of rules for issuing diplomatic passports, and lawmakers must abide by that; they should stop seeking privilege from the state

It is quite strange that our lawmakers always seek diplomatic passports, also known as red passports, even though they do not have any regular official business abroad. Every time the parliamentary election is held, lawmakers often raise the demand of red passports. Normally, a red passport is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to government officials, lawmakers and others when they attend any government programme abroad. But a diplomatic passport is issued only for a few days. And it cannot be issued even to the high-level government officials if they are travelling abroad on personal visits. A diplomatic passport is a government document that can be used only for official purposes. As per the rule issued by MoFA in 2014, lawmakers, like other high level government officials and people working in diplomatic missions, are entitled to red passports when they are part of the government’s function. Such passports, however, must be returned to MoFA within 15 days from completing the foreign trip. But lawmakers now are demanding that they be issued the red passports as long as they remain in Parliament.

During a theoretical discussion on the Passport Bill at the Parliamentary International Affairs Committee, most of the lawmakers rapped the government for not providing them red passport, which, they claim, is their privilege as people’s representatives. Some lawmakers even went on to say that the state was treating them as “second class citizens”. The Bill, drafted by MoFA, has clearly proposed providing red passport to lawmakers when they are taking part in government programmes. According to Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, the government had been providing red passport to the lawmakers attending government functions abroad. But Bairagi also made it clear that if the government provides red passports to lawmakers on permanent basis, some embassies based in Nepal may not issue visa to them even against that exclusive document.

Some lawmakers were against issuing red passport to lawmakers, saying it was not necessary all the time. They were of the opinion that diplomatic passport should not be allowed to use when a lawmaker is travelling to a foreign country on a personal visit. Using a diplomatic passport on a personal trip is also construed as misuse of it. It must be used purely for official purposes. If lawmakers of federal Parliament seek red passport, there are chances of provincial assembly members also making a similar demand. The government had to tighten the rules after some lawmakers in 2011 were found to have “forged and sold” diplomatic passports to unauthorised persons. It may be noted that the Kathmandu District Court on June 6, 2014 had slapped with a five-month jail term and a fine of Rs 500 each to three former lawmakers for misusing red passports. They had also violated the rule by not returning them on time. Others who were using lawmakers’ forged passports were also slapped with a one-year jail term after they were caught in foreign countries. As per the rules, lawmakers enjoy prerogatives only in parliamentary businesses, not outside Parliament. They must not expect any privileges above the law and the people who elected them. Their demand of special privilege above the people is unacceptable.

Regulating cabs

With a view to regulating taxis in the Capital city, the government in January last year issued a directive as per which all the taxi operators in the Kathmandu Valley were supposed to install computerised billing system. But not all the taxis have the system installed. All those who have hailed cabs in the Capital know very well that they are often taken for a ride—most of the times cabbies refuse to switch on the meter, while there are some who do switch the meter on but it is tampered.

Traffic police on Tuesday took action against 40 cabbies in the Valley for cheating commuters. They were found to be operating taxis without the mandatory computer billing system and overcharging the passengers. Earlier in May also traffic police had booked around 120 cabbies for the same reasons. This is a glaring example of how government-introduced rules are not fully implemented. Strict enforcement of rules will save people from being cheated and engaging into unnecessary haggles. Around 9,000 cabs ply the Capital roads. Government agencies must regulate them properly.