Kathmandu, April 5 ,, The Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist Leninist), CPN (ML), has expressed its objection to a circular the Ministry of Home Affairs recently issued to the Chief District Officers of all the 77 districts. The circular is about providing citizenship certificate to the offspring of Nepali nationals, who have acquired citizenship certificates on the basis of birth, on the basis of descent.
A press release issued today by the party general secretary CP Mainali states that the circular issued by the Home Ministry influencing a bill related to citizenship which is under consideration of the parliament was anti-national, hence the need for withdrawing it immediately. Providing citizenship on the basis of descent to the non-resident children of non-Nepalis who have acquired citizenship in large numbers based on birth is not in the interest of the nation, reads the press release. The parliament is currently considering the Bill to Amend the Citizenship Act, 2063.
The government had presented the bill in parliament on August 8, 2018. CPN (ML) has also called on the government to resolve the issue of the number of people issued citizenship on the basis of birth by forming a high-powered judicial investigation commission. It is alleged that a large number of people were issued citizenship on the basis of birth by the past government under pressure from certain political parties, especially after the 2006 people’s movement. —