KATHMANDU, April 23: A total of 111 individuals, including victims of the armed conflict, have expressed interest in becoming officials of the two commissions tasked with advancing the Transitional Justice (TJ) process.
The list of recommended candidates includes former officials who have previously served in the commission, former chief justices, former chief secretaries, professors, former members of parliament, and members of victim families.
The list published by the recommendation committee has sparked widespread interest, as everyone is eager to see who will be selected for the positions of officials. Since the law has been amended, victim families are hopeful that the new officials joining the commissions will be able to complete the work of TJ.
The Recommendation Committee had called for applications for positions in the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The list of candidates interested in becoming officials has now been made public by the Recommendation Committee (RC).
Since Asar (mid-June to mid-July 2022), both commissions have been without a chairperson and four other officials. The committee now faces the task of selecting 10 officials from 111 applicants. The recommendation process has restarted from the beginning after the previous attempt failed to produce a recommendation. The five-member RC, led by former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, has been given a second two-month period to recommend officials for the two commissions.
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Reviewing the list, the majority of the candidates appear to be individuals who understand TJ, have worked in human rights, and are well-qualified. Organizations representing conflict victims had also submitted names of individuals they recommended. However, selecting names from among those who applied on their own and those recommended by the organizations may not be an easy task for the RC.
Among those listed, 28 individuals have been recommended by various organizations representing conflict victims. Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, former Chief Secretary Lila Devi Gadtaula, former MP Radhe Shyam Adhikari, ICJ Senior Legal Advisor Mandira Sharma, former Nepal Bar President Sher Bahadur KC, and former Judge Girish Chandra Lal have been recommended for the chairpersons of both commissions by the Conflict Victim Women National Network, Conflict Victims’ Common Platform, and others.
For the positions of chairperson or member, organizations have submitted names such as Kul Chandra Gautam, Krishna Khanal, Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Harihar Basti, Shambhu Ram Simkhada, Shankar Krishna Shrestha, Bipin Adhikari, Khim Lal Devkota, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, and Sushila Chaudhary.
Additionally, individuals like Ram Kumar Bhandari, Suman Adhikari, Rukmini Maharjan, Raju Prasad Chapagain, and Dinesh Tripathi, have been recommended specifically for membership in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Moreover, the list also includes individuals who have previously served in the two commissions.
Following the reformation of the RC, conflict victims have publicly urged the government to allow the committee to work independently and impartially. Representatives from various organizations linked to victims have called for a transparent, credible, and open process to select competent and capable individuals. In a joint press release, they have also appealed for an end to repeated manipulation of the pain and experiences of conflict victims.
The government has formed the RC for the fourth time to recommend officials for the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The broader conflict victim community has expressed serious concern over the ongoing selection process being carried out by the committee.
After the legal amendment made in the past 10 years, there was widespread public interest when the RC was formed last Kartik (mid-October to mid-November). However, the victim community raised concerns, accusing the committee of publishing a shortlist in a non-transparent manner without first releasing the selection criteria.
“There is widespread talk that the committee will simply approve names already agreed upon by political parties as part of a power-sharing deal,” the joint statement said.
“The repeated failure of the recommendation committees and commissions, driven by self-interest and irresponsibility, only deepens the suffering and disappointment of victims—this is unacceptable to the broader victim community,” stated representatives from 28 victim organizations.
Reminding the RC of the concerns of the victim community, they have demanded that the committee shortlist individuals with the highest qualifications and capabilities—those who have contributed to peace building and human rights and are respected in society.
They also urged the committee not to succumb to any form of pressure or influence, and to carry out its responsibility with seriousness and integrity to address the long-standing pain and grievances of the victims.
