Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula has said that all eligible people should be given Nepali citizenship certificates before the elections to a Constituent Assembly.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula (File Photo)
Responding to queries put forth by parliamentarians, after tabling the much talked Nepal Citizenship Bill, 2006 in the House of Representatives (HoR) Thursday, Sitaula said the technical aspects would make the process of issuing citizenship certificates longer.

“Efforts are being made to work out agreements between the government and the Maoists for finalising the interim constitution.”

However parliamentarian raised constitutional and legal questions regarding the Bill. Some of them advised the government not to take decisions in a rush.

Raghuji Panta of CPN-UML said, “The government should sort out all constitutional and legal problems before presenting the bill.”

Parliamentarian Narayan Man Bijukchhe has registered a proposal to amend the Nepal Citizenship Bill -2006, opposing the provision of acquiring naturalized citizenship.

Registering an amendment proposal at the parliament on Wednesday, Bijukchhe said no one should be awarded citizenship certificate if his/her parents (both father and mother) were not Nepali citizens.

The proposed bill is getting criticism from all walks of life claiming that Nepali people would be outnumbered by foreigners if the proposed bill comes into effect.