Miscellaneous
PHSC to open plaints only on day of hearing
In a bid to avoid tarnishing reputations of the candidates for the high offices, the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) is preparing to open files of complaints against the candidates nominated for 34 different constitutional and diplomatic missions only on the day of their hearingBinod Ghimire
In a bid to avoid tarnishing reputations of the candidates for the high offices, the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) is preparing to open files of complaints against the candidates nominated for 34 different constitutional and diplomatic missions only on the day of their hearing.
In the past, the unsubstantiated complaints used to be in public domain even before the hearing started ruining the reputation of the aspirants. With a day to go for the deadline to file complaints against the nominees for the various positions, around two dozen complaints have been registered at the PHSC Secretariat. The grievances have been hand delivered or sent via email.
According to Kul Bahadur Gurung, chairman of the committee, the complaints will be opened on the day of hearing of the particular nominees. Hearing of only one nominee will be done on a day, starting with Chief Justice (CJ) nominee Sushila Karki and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) candidate Ayodhee Prasad Yadav. “Our meeting called on Tuesday will decide the day for the hearing for each candidate,” Gurung said. The hearing process, slated for a July 10 start, is likely to last over a month to complete, according to officials
Issuing a 10-day public notice on June 24, the hearing committee called for the complaints from the general public against the nominees for CJ, CEC, 11 justices and 21 ambassadors. Though the government made the recommendation over a month ago their appointment has been halted in the lack of parliamentary hearing—a mandatory constitutional provision.
Fewer complaints have been filed this time as the parliamentary regulation has made it mandatory to reveal the identity of complainer, unlike in the past when an anonymous person could file a complaint, according to Anita Pariyar, member of the committee. “The complaints from the anonymous source will not be entertained,” she said. As there has to be two-thirds majority for the rejection of any nominees, all nominations are likely to be endorsed as the ruling parties hold a comfortable majority in the committee. In the 14 member-committee, the ruling parties have eight members while the main opposition Nepali Congress has six. The NC has been openly objecting the nomination of senior advocate and former CPN-UML lawmaker Sapana Malla Pradhan for the Supreme Court justice.