Four ordinances, along with the draft regulation of the House of Representatives, were tabled in the first meeting of the Lower House’s second session on Sunday.

Minister for Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel tabled Ordinance on Health Professional Education Act as per the demand of senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govind KC who has been campaigning for years, seeking reforms in the medical education sector. Any ordinance has to be endorsed by Parliament within 60 days of the first meeting of the new session while its replacement bill also needs to be approved during the same period.

After failing to come up with a replacement bill in the last House session, the government had formulated three ordinances including HPE for the second time which was issued by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on April 26. The HPE ordinance bars establishing any medical college in the Valley for a decade. Despite the reservation from CPN-UML leaders, the ordinance was first issued by the erstwhile Sher Bahadur Deuba government following threat by Dr KC to start another round of hunger strike.

Similarly, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa tabled Ordinance on Election of National Assembly in the House for endorsement. In the lack of Parliament, the government had issued the ordinance to clear legal hurdles for the Upper House polls.

Sunday’s meeting also saw Minister for Law and Justice Sher Bahadur Tamang present Ordinance on the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons, Ordinance on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (first amendment). The ordinance was issued to extend the term of two transitional justice bodies by a year. Minister Tamang also presented Ordinance related to Remuneration, Facilities and Condition of Service of the Secretary General of the Federal Parliament, Secretary of House of Representatives and Secretary of the National Assembly.

The government will tabled the replacement bills of the four ordinances at the HoR within two months once they are approved by the Federal Parliament. Chairman of Regulation Drafting Committee Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel presented the draft regulation of the HoR which was finalised by the committee on Saturday with a provision that Members of Parliament will not face suspension despite being in judicial custody.

“Any MPs not satisfied with any of the provisions in the regulation can submit amendment proposal by Monday,” the Speaker told the House. The Parliament Secretariat plans to approve the regulation by Thursday. The budget session of Parliament will run for four months, primarily to endorse the budget for new fiscal year, but it will also approve the laws needed for the full-fledged implementation of the constitution.