Matters on naturalized citizenship misinterpreted: NC

By Bhishma Raj Ojha, Kathmandu, Aug 27: Nepali Congress (NC has clarified that sponsored misinterpretations were made on the matters relating to marital naturalized citizenship when there was no new proviso in the Nepali Citizenship (First Amendment) Act, 2079 BS to this effect.     

Making clarifications on the matters, NC parliamentary party has said foreign women married to Nepali citizens have been regularly obtaining marital naturalized citizenship since the enforcement of the Nepali Citizenship Act 2009 BS through the promulgation of the Constitution in 2072 BS.     

The prevailing Nepali Citizenship Act, 2063 BS has not specified any provision of a time limit of seven years for obtaining naturalized citizenship. Such provision has not been enshrined in the Constitution as well.     

Also, the particular arrangement was neither featured in the Ordinance relating to Citizenship issued by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on the recommendation of the then KP Sharma Oli-led government on 9 Jeth 2078 BS nor in the bill introduced in 2075 BS to amend the Nepali Citizenship Act, 2063.     

NC parliamentary party has urged one and all to not trust the sponsored rumours on sensitive issues like citizenship without understanding the realities.     

NC parliamentary party whip Min Biswokarma informed that the Citizenship (First Amendment) Act 2075 tabled by the then Oli-led government in parliament could not get a parliamentary endorsement.     

The Citizenship Bill had to be introduced when the Nepali Citizenship (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2078 BS could not come into force with the interim order of the apex court in this regard, he clarified.     

Biswokarma further explained that the incumbent government has advanced the Nepali Citizenship (First Amendment) Act, 2079 BS as the Nepali citizens are being deprived of consuming their constitutional rights to citizenship and thereby facing serious problems. (RSS)