Govt moves ahead with appointments in constitutional bodies despite objection from Speaker Sapkota

Published On: February 3, 2021 09:45 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Feb 3: All those recommended by the Constitutional Council (CC) meeting for the appointment in various constitutional bodies are receiving oaths of office and secrecy amidst a special function being organized at the President's Office in Shital Niwas today.

Those receiving the oath of office and secrecy at the function being held at 9 am include the chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Prem Kumar Rai and the chief commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)  Tap Bahadur Magar.

A meeting of the Constitutional Council held on December 15 had made the recommendations of as many as 45 persons for the appointment in various constitutional bodies even as the Speaker of the House of Representatives(HoR) Agni Sapkota chose to boycott the meeting. 

All those recommended by the CC meeting need to get endorsed by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee under the federal parliament. But since the HoR -- one of the two houses of the federal parliament-- was dissolved on December 20, 2020, those recommended did not have to undergo a parliamentary hearing. As per the Work Procedures Regulations 2075 BS of the federal parliament, there is a provision of automatic appointments of those recommended by the CC meeting if their hearing is not held for 45 days.

The government's move to administer the oath of office and secrecy comes in the wake of Speaker Sapkota expressing reservation over the appointments and returning the original documents sent to the parliament for conducting the parliamentary hearing to the chief secretary and other government bodies concerned. HoR Speaker is a member of the Constitutional Council that makes recommendations for the appointment in statutory bodies.

 


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