‘MPs to get automatic suspension if proven guilty by court’

KATHMANDU, April 17: The House of Representative Regulations Drafting Committee coordinator Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel has said that a provision that would suspend any Member of Parliament (MPs) if a criminal case is filed against him/her or if s/he is taken into custody for investigation, is being incorporated in the law.

Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Tuesday, Pokhrel added, “We are also working on making provision in the law for lifting the suspension if the court clears the lawmaker innocent and relieving him/her from the position if the court pronounces a guilty verdict.

“In case a lawmaker is relieved of duty, a re-election would be held in the respective constituency to elect a new MP,” he added.

Pokhrel further said that the new regulation would also have provision requiring the Prime Minister to be present in the parliament two times a month and respond to MPs questions.

According to him, the regulation would also have the provision by which Ministers concerned would have to respond to the questions raised by MPs during the special and zero hour of the parliament sessions.

Pokhrel said an agreement has been reached with the opposition parties regarding limiting the number of parliamentary committees to 10 only as the committees could not work in an effective manner though greater in number in the past.

Speaking on the occasion, Committee member Min Bahadur Bishwokarma argued that the number of parliamentary committees should be reduced to seven. He said the independence of the judiciary should not be compromised when making the regulation, stressing that the parliament should not directly supervise the judiciary.

He also stated that there is no alternative other than the ruling parties and the opposition parties working together as the parliament was required to enact nearly 300 laws in six months.