MPs question delay over concluding impeachment motion against former CJ Rana

Published On: February 15, 2023 02:00 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Feb 15: Questions have been raised in parliament over the failure to conclude the impeachment motion against former chief justice (CJ) Cholendra SJB Rana. The MPs asked questions in parliament saying that delaying justice is a great injustice.

Nepali Congress MP Arjun Narsingha KC said that the trend of indicting and keeping it pending is the height of lawlessness and a mockery of constitutionalism.

He said, "Hanging the sword like this without giving the final decision to be given by the law, lack of decision is the height of lawlessness. It is a mockery of constitutionalism.”

Impeachment against former CJ Rana was registered in the House of Representatives on February 13, 2022. Rana has already retired under suspension pending the finalization of the impeachment motion against him.

During the term of the previous House of Representatives, the General Impeachment Recommendation Committee recommended that Rana be impeached. However, the report with the said recommendation could not be presented in the House of Representatives.

It has been two months since the last general elections. The parliament secretariat and political parties have not been clear about whether the impeachment brought in the previous term will proceed in the new House of Representatives or not. Therefore, there is still confusion about what will happen to the impeachment motion against SJB Rana.

Earlier, general secretary of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Bharat Raj Gautam, had given a letter to Rana saying that the impeachment against him had become ineffective, arguing that the term of the previous House of Representatives that initiated the impeachment motion had ended. The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of Gautam’s clean chit to Rana through an interim order.

Nepali Congress MP KC demanded that discussions be held in parliament in this regard. "I think it is sad that the Supreme Court's interim order and all the files of the impeachment motion are not presented to parliament for two months," KC said.