When Parliament is Just a Stamp

The controversial amendment to the cooling-off period provision in the Civil Service Act—bypassing the parliamentary process—is not just an insult to lawmakers and Parliament, but also a violation of the Constitution. The Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080, passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday, included a sudden change to the clause that originally barred civil servants from being appointed to constitutional or civil service positions within two years of their resignation or retirement. This provision, initially endorsed unanimously by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the Parliament, stated that civil servants could only be appointed to such roles after a mandatory two-year cooling-off period. The committee—composed of MPs from all political parties represented in Parliament—had reviewed and approved this clause, and its decision is reflected in the bill’s preliminary note on the Parliament Secretariat’s website. However, when the bill was tabled for discussion in the House, the provision had mysteriously been altered. There is no transparency about how or who made the change. Since the bill travels from the committee to the House via the Parliament Secretariat, the change of this provision raises serious procedural and constitutional concerns. It now appears that either the Parliament Secretariat or the Executive—or both—may have been secretly involved in altering the bill. This has emerged as a classic case of legislative manipulation and deception of Parliament. Naturally, this incident raises fundamental questions. Who is responsible for this unauthorized change? What was the motive? And how was it done without informing the very lawmakers who passed the bill through due process? These questions demand a full and transparent investigation.