KATHMANDU, Feb 6: The government plans to endorse the amendment bill for extending the terms of the two transitional justice (TJ) bodies through parliament on Wednesday, three days before the terms expire. 

The Bill to Amend the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons and Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act has proposed term extensions for the two TJ bodies–Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons – for a year at first and another year if needed. 

Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said the government plans to endorse the bill at the second sitting of the House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon. 

The lower house has sought amendment proposals to the bill by 5 pm the same day. But both the ruling and opposition parties have asked their lawmakers not to register any amendment to the bill, thus paving the way for its fast-track endorsement. 

According to the parliament secretariat, Prem Suwal of Nepal Workers Peasants Party has informed about his plan to register an amendment to the bill. 

Earlier on Sunday, the National Assembly had unanimously endorsed the bill through a fast track after suspending some rules. The twice-extended terms of the two TJ commissions are expiring on Saturday without having completed their given tasks. The terms of the commissions will be extended following authentication on the bill by the president after endorsement through both houses. 

The bill has also created room for extending the commission terms for yet another year if the tasks assigned to them are not concluded within the one-year extension. “Irrespective of any other provision in the law, if the tasks of the commissions are not accomplished as mentioned in the law, the government of Nepal shall extend the terms for a year,” reads Section 38 (2) of the bill.

Proposing amendment to the existing provision on the terms of the office bearers at the commissions, the bill has authorized the government to extend their terms or appoint fresh individuals in their place. If the proposed provision is endorsed, the government plans to appoint new office bearers at the two commissions by mid-April. 

“Irrespective of any other provision in the law, the government shall extend the terms of the chiefs or members of the commissions with the extension of terms of the commissions or appoint fresh eligible persons,” reads the bill. 

The amendment bill states that the incumbent office bearers shall remain in office until mid-April even if their term is not extended. But they can be replaced any time before mid-April once the bill kicks in.

 
• transitional_justice
 
• bill_amendment
 
• parliament