Kathmandu, Sept. 18 -- Picture this: A serious constitutional issue has arisen and requires an immediate amendment to the Constitution of Nepal.

The process, one might think, is simple: Parliament acts. A constitutional amendment bill is registered in either the House of Representatives or the National Assembly. The bill is passed by both Houses. The amendment process is completed.

But, at this point, at least until there is a final decision on the Supreme Court's interim order issued on Wednesday, it is not that simple. There is currently no operative parliamentary rule governing the procedure for passing a constitutional amendment bill.

A constitutional amendment bill is governed by Rule 140(11) of the House of Representatives Regula...