President Bidya Devi Bhandari has dispelled rumors that she is about to resign.
President Bhandari, who is supreme commander of the Nepal Army (NA) and former defense minister, said so during a gathering of former army officers at the Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday.
"Talks about my resignation are mere rumors. I have not thought anything about that," a former NA officer who attended the gathering quoted the president as saying.
The Citizenship Bill, that was sent back by President Bhandari for reconsideration after it was passed by both the House of Representatives (HoR) and the National Assembly, has again been passed by the HoR without any changes. The government is preparing to take it to the National Assembly and pass it as is even from there.
President Bhandari is constitutionally required to authenticate it if the National Assembly also passes it without any changes.
There are rumors that she may opt to resign instead of authenticating the bill. But she has dispelled the rumors during the gathering.
Most of the former army officers lauded her for sending it back to the House for reconsideration and urged her to not authenticate it if it is again sent to her without any change stating that there should be national debate on the issue, according to another former army officer.
President Bhandari, in response, said that it would have been better if the HoR had not passed it as it is and pointed that the bill had yet to be discussed in the National Assembly. She assured that she would take decision on the bill in accordance to the Constitution.
Priem Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba had also asked a few leaders close to him about the rumors of her resignation after meeting of the ruling coalition on Tuesday. Those leaders apparently responded that they didn't think that she would resign.
