Congress MP Gita Gurung Criticizes Law Committee's Immature Working Style

Kathmandu. Opposition party Nepali Congress MP Gita Gurung has commented that the working style of the House of Representatives' Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee is immature. Speaking at the committee meeting held on Wednesday, she expressed dissatisfaction with the committee's recent working style. Speaking at the meeting organized to discuss the current state and problems of independent judiciary and judicial administration, she said that the committee's decisions are becoming immature and this has tarnished the committee's dignity. MP Gurung objected to the committee calling international human rights organizations like Amnesty International and International Commission of Jurists for discussion. She argued that these organizations are not under the Government of Nepal and are not directly accountable to the committee. She urged that the constitutional status and importance of the committee be considered, saying that the Finance Committee could similarly call the World Bank or IMF. Mentioning that the practice of hastily setting agendas based on an individual's application is wrong, she demanded that the entire committee, not just the chairman and staff, should make decisions when setting the agenda. Speaking at the meeting, she said, 'Why would they come when the committee calls them? Today, their absence has embarrassed the committee itself. This can set a wrong precedent in the future.' She recalled that the main job of the parliamentary committee is to monitor the government. She said, 'If there are comments from international organizations, we should seek answers from the government about its official stance and how committed the government is to the independent judiciary, not from international organizations.' MP Gurung emphasized that the committee should be kept free from any impulse, superficial applications, or immature decisions. She drew attention to maintaining the committee's impartiality and credibility, saying that the role of the committee chairman has appeared like that of a government spokesperson in some contexts. She stated that the credibility of parliamentary oversight is determined not only by the results but also by the process. On the same occasion, she welcomed the government's preparation to bring 166 bills and suggested to the Law Minister that these bills should be brought with adequate preparation so as not to contradict the constitution.