CPN-UML positive on new Citizenship Bill: Nembang

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, July 11: Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala have held a meeting with Subas Nembang, former Speaker and Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Party of the Main Opposition Party CPN-UML.

During the meeting held at Nembang's residence in Baluwatar Sunday evening, they discussed the newly prepared Citizenship Bill which has been decided to table at the HoR, Home Minister Khand said after the meeting.

CPN-UML leader Nembang said that Home Minister Khand and Law Minister Sharma had requested the CPN-UML to help endorse the Citizenship Bill to be tabled in the Parliament soon. 

Leader Nembang said that his party is positive towards the Citizenship Bill. “Let's see what issues are included in the bill and the party is ready to cooperate, but let it be discussed in the Parliament,” he said. 

Withdrawing the bill, the government on July 8 had decided to register a new citizenship bill and now it had submitted the new bill to the Parliament Secretariat.

The bill will address the current citizenship problem. If the bill is passed, thousands of youth who have not received their citizenship certificate will get it. The government expects that about 1 million young citizens will get the citizenship certificates after the endorsement of the bill.

The Constitution of Nepal has a provision to grant citizenship to the non-resident Nepali citizens so that they can enjoy social, economic and cultural rights apart from political and administrative rights. 

In the new bill, the government will address the constitutional provision of granting Nepali citizenship to the non-resident Nepalis, according to Minister Khand.