Vice President Pun, Speaker Sapkota boycott swearing-in ceremony of newly-appointed office bearers of constitutional bodies

KATHMANDU, Feb 3: Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Speaker of the dissolved House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota boycotted swearing-in ceremony of the newly-appointed office bearers of constitutional bodies held at Sheetal Niwas, the President's Office, on Wednesday morning.

Vice President Pun decided not to attend the oath-taking ceremony owing to ill health, according to Manoj Gharti, his press aide.

Speaker Sapkota chose to shun the swearing-in ceremony calling the Constitutional Council's decision to make recommendations at over three dozen constitutional bodies including the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority "unconstitutional", a source close to the speaker told Republica.

Earlier on Sunday, Speaker Sapkota sent back to the council all original copies of the decisions related to various appointments made by the Constitution Council at the constitutional bodies.

In a letter to the Constitution Council, Sapkota said that the process for conducting parliamentary hearings on the political appointments made at various constitutional bodies by the Constitutional Council in December last year cannot move forward as the House of Representatives remains dissolved.

On Wednesday morning, Chief Justice Cholendra Sumsher Rana administered oath to the newly-appointed members of various constitutional bodies at the ceremony which was attended by President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, cabinet ministers, senior government officials among others.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Oli called a meeting of the council for Wednesday morning but the meeting was cancelled after Chief Justice Rana decided not to attend it saying that a case against the appointment made by the council at constitutional bodies was sub judice at the Supreme Court.

The council chaired by Prime Minister Oli on December 15 had recommended as many as 45 individuals in various constitutional bodies.

Former Home Secretary Prem Rai was appointed the chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and Tap Bahadur Magar as chief commissioner of National Human Rights Commission.

Work Procedures Regulations 2075 BS of the federal parliament has a provision of automatic appointments of those recommended by the CC meeting if their hearing is not held for 45 days.