The delayed transitional justice process has been stuck as the government is sitting on the regulations for the commissions.

Nine years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the government had formed two commissions—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons—to look into conflict-era cases 11 months ago. However, the commissions are without business in the lack of the rules. The Peace Ministry forwarded the regulations to the Cabinet last week. However, the document has not been forwarded to the Bill Committee, which reviews the draft once again before forwarding to the Cabinet for endorsement.

The committee, headed by the law minister includes secretaries of both the commissions, secretaries of the Law Ministry, Peace Ministry and a joint-secretary from the Law and Human Right Division of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Officials said they have not received the draft regulations. The committee makes final changes in the regulation forwarded by the Cabinet before they send it back to the Cabinet for final approval.

“It might take at least two weeks for the regulations to be endorsed,” said Rishi Rajbhandari, joint-secretary at the Peace Ministry, who coordinates the commissions. “However, the commissions are well-prepared to carry out their tasks once the regulations get endorsed.”

According to Rajbhandari, the commissions have even hired officials to implement their plans. The government has approved 100 staffers for the TRC and 70 for the CIEDP.

The commissions, which has a two-year mandate with the possibility of extension by one year, have over 17,000 cases linked to the decade-long conflict to investigate and recommend action.