The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) is set to begin on Friday hearing on complaints against nominees for constitutional bodies, diplomatic missions and justices.

On Friday, Chief Election Commissioner nominee Ayodhee Prasad Yadav will respond to parliamentarians’ queries and clarify on complaints filed against him. Chief Justice nominee Sushila Karki will attend the hearing on Sunday. As many as 34 nominees are set to undergo parliamentary

hearing before they are formally appointed to their respective posts.

A new 15-member hearing committee was formed on June 19 as per the provision of the new constitution.

The ruling parties and the main opposition were at the loggerheads for about nine months following the constitution promulgation over the number of members in the newly formed committee. The last PHSC had 75 members.

“Since we have a small committee, our discussion with the nominees will now be more specific and serious. We will also have more time to ask the nominees our queries and about the complaints filed,” said NC leader Bal Krishna Khand, a member of the committee.

Two complaints have been filed against Yadav—one from Siraha about a writ filed against him at the Supreme Court so he should not be nominated, and the other

filed by a person from Ramechhap claiming that since Yadav has long been involved in the EC, he might be able to influence other office bearers and the overall election process.

Forty plaints were registered with the committee against the nominees within a 10-day deadline. The hearing committee on June 24 called for complaints from the general public against the nominees for the chief election commissioner, the chief justice, 11 justices and 21 ambassadors.

The low number of complaints was largely due to the mandatory provision for the complainants to reveal their identity, unlike in the past when an anonymous person could file a complaint, the committee member said.

Although the government had made the recommendations over a month ago, their appointments were halted in the absence of parliamentary hearing—a constitutional requirement.