MPs Demand Resignation, Probe Over Changes in 'Cooling-Off Period' Bill

A major dispute has broken out in Parliament after lawmakers accused officials of changing the wording of the recently passed "cooling-off period" bill without approval.

Ruling party CPN-UML lawmaker Padam Giri strongly objected to what he called a deliberate change made in the bill before it was sent to the House of Representatives. He said the modified version is different from what the committee had finalized.

“This is not a small mistake. Someone intentionally changed the bill, which is a serious offense. The person responsible must resign,” Giri told reporters after meeting the Speaker.

The issue centers on a clause in the bill. The committee had passed a rule that retired government employees must wait two years before taking other jobs unless they are appointed to constitutional or diplomatic positions. But in the version submitted to Parliament, a new phrase was added that allows other government appointments as well, something MPs say they had removed.

Madhav Sapkota from the CPN (Maoist Centre) also criticized the change, calling it a serious breach of trust. He accused the committee chairperson of bypassing discussion and submitting the bill with unauthorized changes. Sapkota has called for the chair’s resignation and the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee.

“This is no small error. If the committee head knew about the change, it’s forgery. If he didn’t know, how was the bill changed under his signature?” Sapkota asked.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s chief whip, Gyan Bahadur Shahi, also demanded an investigation. He said the incident damaged the dignity of Parliament and should be treated as a serious legal offense.

The government had first introduced the bill in February 2024. It included a rule that retired officials must get government approval before taking a new post within two years, excluding constitutional and diplomatic roles. However, lawmakers say a removed line was secretly added back, sparking outrage.

Due to this controversy, committee meetings have come to a halt, with several MPs saying they will not participate until the issue is fully investigated.