'Sharing experiences will help strengthening federalism'

Kathmandu, Aug. 19: Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) have said that there should be experience sharing and collaboration in creating legal instruments between the Federal and Provincial Parliaments.

Speaking at an interaction organised to share experience about the parliamentary practices between the federal and provincial parliament, they said that sharing and collaboration would contribute to strengthening federalism.

Speaker of the HoR Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that interaction among the HoR, NA and Provincial Assemblies of seven provinces was needed to create a law regarding their shared rights as mentioned in the constitution.

“The country was in unitary structure before but we are exercising federalism now, and the provincial structure is completely a new phenomenon in Nepal. Therefore there should be regular and frequent experience sharing programmes,” he said.

Chairman of the NA Ganesh Timalsina said that the three levels of the governments should collaborate to fulfill the objectives of the new constitution and implement federalism.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said that such interactions would contribute to easy parliamentary exercise since the Parliament in the country was more traditional and following complex procedures.

Former Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang urged the lawmakers to play non-partisan role in the parliament because people have sent them there for the same purpose.

Former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said that the speaker should teach the parliamentarians about how to speak with focus on the topic.

“Respective political parties of the speaker and deputy speaker will try to influence them and sometimes pressurize them but they should not succumb to such pressures,” he said.

Chairman of the Nepal Law Commission Madhav Poudel said that although the law making process is cumbersome, there was no alternative to it. However, it is the most transparent process, he said.

Vice-Chairman of the NA Shashi Kala Dahal said that the law making process at the federal parliament could be a lesson for the parliaments at the lower levels.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 August 2018.