By Our Reporter
The ruling and opposition parties in the parliament have been sharply divided over a few provisions on naturalized citizens in the Citizenship Act.
While ruling Nepal Communist Party wants to insert some tight provision, the Nepali Congress and the Tarai-based parties want continuity to the existing provisions.
The quandary regarding what kinds of rights should be given to the naturalised citizens continues to haunt the lawmakers in the House of Representatives (HoR).
Interests of the political parties, ethnicity and geographies on the provision of naturalised citizenship have continued to disrupt the amendment procedure of ‘Citizenship Act’ in its subject committee.
The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee is preparing for a vote-division method for settling the dispute after having several unsuccessful attempts made to get a common understanding on the issue of naturalised citizenship.
Committee chair Sashi Shrestha said that they were trying their best for reaching a common understanding among stakeholders. “Providing equal or limited rights to the naturalised citizenship bearer is a sensitive issue but we have limited time to work on that,” she said.
The government wants to endorse Citizenship Act in the ongoing House session.
Though the NCP has not made public its official stance on the issue yet, lawmakers representing the party have been advocating for maintaining strict limitations. They view that drafting a weak document can assist the foreigners to get Nepal’s citizenship certificate easily.
CPN lawmakers want 10 or 15 years residential duration with proofs to get a marriage-based naturalised citizenship for any foreign national.
Giving citizenship immediately after marriage was not appropriate, they said Rawal
However, main opposition Nepali Congress, Socialist Party and RJPN were scouting for the continuity on the existing provision. The women leaders including pressure groups are advocating for feminine aspect regarding the marriage-based naturalised citizenship.
Among several causes, the provision of providing naturalised citizenship for the married foreign men/women with Nepali man/women and its limitations is the most sensible dispute. The act has a provision of providing by virtue, by birth and naturalizing citizenship for the citizens in the country.
Though it is the most talked issue since long, it could not still gather a common consent among lawmakers yet.
In India, people has to wait for seven years to appeal for naturalised citizenship, in Bhutan they have to give birth to a child to get this citizenship and in the Maldives, 12 year duration standard has been maintained. But Nepal has adopted too liberal provision so that anyone can receive naturalised citizenship without waiting even for a month.
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