KATHMANDU, May 8: The process initiated to recommend officials of two crucial transitional justice (TJ) bodies has further prolonged after a committee formed to recommend office bearers of the TJ bodies said the applications from aspirants were incomplete.

Around half of the applicants have not submitted several crucial documents. Of the total 55 individual applicants seeking appointment in the TJ bodies—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons—22 have not submitted their citizenship cards, according to officials. 

Furthermore, three of the total five organizations recommending candidates made the recommendations without completing official and legal procedures.

A meeting of the recommendation committee on Tuesday has decided to issue a public notice requesting the applicants to supply all necessary documents.  

“Some applicants have not submitted citizenship cards whereas those organizations which wanted to recommend some candidates have not fulfilled the required process,” said Sharmila Karki, one of the members of the recommendation committee adding, “That’s why we have given them three more days to fulfil the requirements.”

The committee plans to publish the list of applicants after receiving the documents and ask the public to register their complaints if any against the applicants.

Members of the recommendation committee said it will take at least 15-20 days to complete the process saying they plan to explore candidates beyond the applicants. The members indicated that the current applicants may not be qualified enough to settle long-delayed justice process.

Both the TJ bodies are left without office bearers as the government wanted to appoint new sets of people to handle the conflict-era cases. Over 65,000 complaints filed by conflict victims accusing the then Maoists and state of breaching human rights violations remain unattended for the last four years. 

Informed sources say even as 57 applicants have applied claiming chief and members of TRC and CIEDP, major political parties have started their own consultations on whom to appoint. The ruling Nepal Communist Party wants for itself three members in the TRC including the chief. The ruling party has offered two members each in the TRC and CIEDP to the main opposition Nepali Congress. The NC, however, has reportedly demanded that it should be allowed to pick the chief of the CIEDP. 
 
Conflict victims dissatisfied, won’t seek representation
Dissatisfied with the appointment process, conflict victims, who had demanded their meaningful participation in the TJ bodies in the past, have now decided that they would keep themselves away from the appointment process.

“We had discussed whether to seek representation of conflict victims in the commissions. But it seems the appointment process is not so credible,” said a victim leader Suman Adhikar adding, “Now it looks like they don’t want to appoint capable persons in the commissions. So, the victims will not seek their representation in the TJ process.”

 
• transitional_justice