MP Vipin Acharya Calls for MPs to Lead Lawmaking, Proposes Digital Dashboard and Right to Recall

Kathmandu.  Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MP Vipin Acharya has emphasized that MPs themselves should be in the leadership role of policy and lawmaking for the country.  

Participating in the discussion on the government's policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year, MP Acharya expressed concern that the actual responsibility of lawmaking currently lies with the ministry's bureaucracy in parliamentary practice.

He proposed changing the procedural structure of lawmaking to put MPs in the driving seat for the actual practice of separation of powers and parliamentary supremacy. MP Acharya commented on the obstructions seen in parliament and the accountability of the Prime Minister, urging adherence to established methods and procedures.  

Hinting at the practice of opposition parties obstructing parliament, he suggested using the legal avenue under Rule 56 of the House of Representatives Regulations to directly question the Prime Minister. He argued that activities that suspend parliament by going outside of established procedures do not prove accountability to the public.

He said, ‘The actual steering of lawmaking is not in parliament but in the hands of the ministry's bureaucratic structure. We MPs are limited only to the role of reacting to drafts and making amendments.’

Stating that the state is hesitant to invest in the career development and capacity building of MPs, Acharya pointed out the need for expert assistance for MPs to understand policy and legal complexities. For this, he demanded that MPs be provided with the facility of a private secretary by including it in the policy and program itself.  

Acharya has put forward the concept of a ‘Digital Dashboard’ for transparent tracking of the government's response to issues raised in parliament and problems of citizens. He stated that there should be a system where the general public can directly see which MP raised what issue and what action the government took on it.

Furthermore, to promote democratic accountability, he drew the government's attention to include the ‘Right to Recall’ system, which allows for the removal of public representatives who cannot perform according to public expectations before their term ends, with high priority in the policy and program. He claimed that these reform aspects should be included in the policy and program presented by the government.