KATHMANDU, Nov 16: A committee formed to recommend chiefs and members of the transitional justice (TJ) bodies is preparing to suggest a list of prospective candidates within next week.
About eight months after its formation, the recommendation committee headed by former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra is all set to recommend prospective candidates to the government.
A meeting of the committee held on Friday has decided to publish the names of all applicants on Sunday and give the public five days to file complaints, if any, against the candidates.
“Due to time constraints, we couldn't send the name list to Gorkhapatra for publication. We will publish the list on Sunday,” said the committee's spokesperson Sharmila Karki.
CPN (Maoist Centre) office bearers’ meeting today
“After going through complaints, if any, and assessment of the candidates' capabilities, we will submit a final list to the government,” said Karki.
A total of 57 individuals have submitted applications seeking appointment as members or chiefs of the two TJ bodies — Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP).
Among the applicants, three are said to be former members of the TJ bodies — TRC and CIEDP. They are seeking a second stint.
A knowledgeable source confirmed that former TRC member Madhavi Bhatta and CIEDP members Bishnu Pathak and Bijul Kumar Bishwokarma have applied seeking reappointment.
Bhatta has filed application for a position of TRC member while Pathak wants reappointment as a member of the CIEDP. Bishwakarma is willing to work as either member or chair of either of the commissions.
The government had formed the recommendation committee in April with former CJ Mishra as head. Even as the terms of the commissions expired in April the recommendation process is in limbo affecting the entire TJ process.
In 2015, the committee had recommended Surya Kiran Gurung and Lokendra Mallic for appointment as the heads of the TRC and CIEDP respectively although the two hadn't applied for the positions.
The committee is mandated to recommend candidates also by going beyond the published roster if they are not satisfied with the applications received.
