KATHMANDU: Members of the Federal Parliament and provincial assemblies have called for the provision of personal aides and support staff to enhance the effectiveness of their parliamentary responsibilities.
The demand was included in a nine-point declaration issued by the 11th Inter-Legislature Forum Conference held in Tikapur, Sudurpaschim Province.
According to the declaration, participants agreed to initiate discussions with relevant authorities to arrange support personnel for members of both the Federal Parliament and provincial assemblies.
Call for stronger legislative support
The fifth point of the declaration states that support staff are necessary to improve lawmakers’ professional capacity, strengthen the legislative drafting process, and make parliamentary activities more effective and efficient.
The conference emphasized the need for adequate human resources to assist lawmakers in carrying out parliamentary duties, conducting research, drafting legislation, and analyzing public policies.
Reference to international parliamentary practices
Participants noted that in many established democratic countries, lawmakers are provided with personal assistants, researchers, and administrative staff to support their legislative work.
The conference concluded that Nepal should also move toward a similar support structure to strengthen parliamentary performance and institutional capacity.
The Inter-Legislature Forum brought together speakers, deputy speakers, and parliamentary secretaries from the Federal Parliament, the National Assembly, and all seven provincial assemblies.
Comment