Kathmandu: President Bidya Devi Bhandari refused to sign the Nepal Citizenship Amendment Bill. Experts stressed that the President’s action not to sign the bill, which was approved twice by both houses of Parliament, is unconstitutional. As per the constitution, the deadline is 15 days. Tuesday was the last day the President signed the bill. President Anki Prasad Sapkota postponed the bill previously sent by the president with the approval of both houses of parliament on 5 September. The amendments relating to granting citizenship to Nepalese living abroad and foreign women marrying Nepalese have been shelved by the president without signing them.
It will be a setback for thousands of people awaiting Nepalese citizenship, but constitutional expert Dinesh Tripathi said the move by the president who did not sign the bill led Nepal to a constitutional crisis.
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