Lawmakers have crucial role to promote rule of law

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Dec. 15: Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha has said that the  Parliament should formulate good laws following the principles of rule of law.  “People want to be governed by good laws  and seek their participation in the lawmaking process in a democracy, but our lawmakers and concerned institutions are ignoring this fact,” Shrestha said on Wednesday. 

“Ordinances are introduced in the exceptional cases like during the period of floods, humanitarian crisis and other kinds of natural calamities. But the governments  here are issuing ordinances for their convenience,” Shrestha said while speaking at an interaction on ‘Role of Parliament in Promoting Rule of Law’ organised by Centre for Rule of Law with the support of Parliamentary Support Project of the UNDP in the capital. 

The parliamentarians should be focused on legislation drafting  process rather than being involved in other issues like development, he said.

NC leader Dr. Minendra Rijal, newly elected parliamentarians Badri Pandey, Shishir Khanal, Sobita Gautam, National Assembly member Kamala Panta and other lawmakers also shared their experiences. 

The programme was moderated by senior advocate Dr. Narayan Prasad Ghimire. Advocates Raju Prasad Chapagain and Liladhar Upadhyaya had  presented a working paper on the present situation of rule of law and the role of the parliament in promoting rule of law.