Nepal Parliament faces legislative crunch as bills dry up post-budget talks

Nepal's Parliament is likely to experience a significant lull in activity once budget deliberations conclude, primarily due to a scarcity of new legislation ready for parliamentary consideration. The current fiscal year's legislative agenda appears critically thin, with the government struggling to introduce fresh bills.

Since the current government took office on March 27, only one regular bill has been formally registered. This, alongside the annual budget and bills replacing existing ordinances, leaves a notable gap in parliamentary business. Officials within the Parliament Secretariat expressed concern about a "business crunch" after the budget debate, which is scheduled to end around June 22. "It is the government's responsibility to provide business to the House, but bills have not arrived as expected," an anonymous official stated.

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The main priority of this session is, of course, the budget. However, we anticipate a shortage of parliamentary business once the budget debate concludes.

The Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs has compiled a list of 45 potential bills submitted by various ministries. However, none of these appear to be in immediate readiness for presentation to Parliament. This situation contrasts with the government's initial 100-day roadmap, which had anticipated a steady flow of new legislation. Progress on these fronts has reportedly stalled.

Adding to the legislative backlog, several ordinances issued by the previous administration are nearing expiration. These include amendments to electoral laws, which were replaced by bills and subsequently passed. However, other ordinances, such as one that transferred the National Investigation Department (NID) from the Prime Minister's Office to the Ministry of Home Affairs, have seen their status revert. The current government chose not to introduce a replacement bill for the NID transfer ordinance, causing the department to automatically return under the PMO's jurisdiction after the ordinance expired. Furthermore, eight other ordinances issued last month require parliamentary approval within 60 days of their presentation; otherwise, they will lapse after July 10, potentially leaving a legislative void.

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It is the government's responsibility to provide business to the House, but bills have not arrived as expected.