KATHMANDU: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dol Prasad Aryal, has stressed the need for coordination and cooperation among Nepal’s three tiers of government while formulating laws.
Addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Conference organized by the Inter Legislature Forum in Tikapur on Friday, Aryal said effective coordination, collaboration, and cooperation between the federal parliament and provincial assemblies are essential for the successful implementation of federalism.
Emphasizing that laws enacted by the federal, provincial, and local governments should not conflict with one another, Aryal said he was committed to ensuring harmony in legislation across all levels of government.
“I am committed to ensuring that laws enacted by all three levels of government do not contradict each other,” he said. “We will move the lawmaking process forward through coordination and cooperation with all stakeholders. Only through mutual collaboration can we create an environment that understands and addresses the expectations of the people.”
Aryal also underlined the importance of keeping target groups at the center of the legislative process. He noted that implementation challenges often arise because the groups responsible for enforcing laws become aware of them only after they are enacted.
He said laws should be drafted only after meaningful consultation and coordination with the intended stakeholders.
The Speaker further remarked that although federalism was introduced with the promise of taking Singha Durbar’s authority to the grassroots, that goal has yet to be fully realized.
“We have still not been able to deliver the rights that should reach the people in every village,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Narayan Prasad Aryal, said the federal parliament must address concerns regarding inadequate coordination between the federal government and provincial and local governments.
Acknowledging that delays in federal legislation have created difficulties for provincial and local governments, he stressed the need to ensure an enabling environment for sub-national governments to exercise their constitutional powers.
“The delay in federal lawmaking has prevented provincial governments from enacting and implementing necessary legislation,” he said.
He added that all three levels of government have an important role in strengthening democracy by reflecting and responding to the aspirations of the people.
Aryal also said the federal parliament needs to show greater urgency in the legislative process.
“We need to examine why laws are not being enacted at a faster pace. People have not sent us here merely to talk,” he said.
The conference has brought together Speakers and presiding officers from both houses of the Federal Parliament and all seven provincial assemblies. The event is scheduled to conclude on Saturday.
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