Kathmandu, March 2: National Assembly (NA) member from the Nepali Congress, Jeetendra Narayan Dev asserted that the upper House was made weak while drafting the constitution and laws.
Talking to RSS, he said that it was his theoretical, political and practical conclusion during six years in the National Assembly.
“Looking at the practice of democratic countries with bicameral parliamentary system, both Houses are equally powerful and functional”, he said, recalling that there was serious debate on how to make NA empowered, representative and quality.
One section was advocating for strengthening and empowering the NA while the other side wanted to weaken it by giving more powers to the House of Representatives., he shared.
Though there is no legal provision about the time in which the bill originated in the NA will be sent back to the House of Representatives, he noted, presenting it a point to weaken the status of the upper house.
“Another example that has weakened the NA is the election of the president in the joint committee. There are two joint parliamentary committees of the HoR and NA. Of these, the entire NA has submitted an amendment to give the president of one committee to the NA”, lawmaker Dev said.
All the lawmakers of the Upper House had also moved an amendment with solidarity that one of the chairs of the joint committee should be from the NA, he said the move was meant to enhance dignity and weight of the NA but it could not materialize.
“Another example is that the Parliamentary Hearing Committee has 15 members in which 12 are from the HoR and three members from NA. All parties will be represented in this committee if such practice was established”, lawmaker Dev argued. #Nepal
