National Assembly Endorses Constitutional Council Amendment Bill

Kathmandu: The National Assembly has unanimously approved the proposal to consider the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Rights, and Procedures) First Amendment Bill, 2079, which had been passed by the House of Representatives earlier with a message.

During Sunday’s meeting, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung tabled the proposal on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal announced the unanimous decision.

Minister Gurung explained that the bill introduces a provision allowing the Constitutional Council to reach decisions with at least 50% of active members present, if all cannot attend. If quorum or consensus is not reached as per Clause 6, the council must reconvene. At that point, decisions can be made with the chairperson and at least half of the sitting members.

The amendment seeks to address situations where full attendance is not feasible while still ensuring functionality. Clause 7 defines the process for such decisions in the absence of full participation.

Gurung urged lawmakers to move the bill forward for in-depth discussion and timely conclusion.

The bill originated in the House of Representatives, where it passed after undergoing committee-level discussions. It was then sent to the National Assembly with a message from the House.

Lawmakers Call for Further Deliberation

• MP Dr. Beduram Bhusal stressed the need to clearly define quorum requirements and said serious discussion in committee was essential.

• MP Mrigendra Singh Yadav supported sending the bill to committee for broader debate.

• MP Mayaprasad Sharma said some sections remain unclear and would benefit from refinement through committee discussion.

• MP Ganga Kumari Belbase agreed that the House’s initial discussion was meaningful but added that the 50% quorum clause needs wider examination.

Also in the session, Secretary Dr. Surendra Aryal presented messages from the House of Representatives regarding two other bills:

• Some Nepal Acts Amendment Bill, 2080

• Customs Bill, 2080

The next session of the House of Representatives is scheduled for Monday, Baisakh 22 at 1:15 PM.

Source: Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)