PHSC TO DRAW ATTENTION TO RECOMMENDATION FOR NHRC APPOINTMENTS

Kathmandu, Oct 10:

To draw an attention of the Constitutional Council (CC) regarding the latter’s recommendations for new appointments at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) was formed. The reason behind setting  a meeting of the committee today is expression of serious dissatisfactions over the nomination, citing it is not inclusive by  the members of parliament (MPs) present in the meeting. They accused of violation of the principle of inclusiveness and influence of political interests in the nomination for the NHRC Chairperson and other members.

In the post of the NHRC Chairperson former Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma has been recommended while  Prakash Chandra Wasti, Sudip Pathak, Mohana Ansari and Govinda Sharma have been nominated as members. For seeking a middle way to calm down the situation, over two-thirds legislators among those present in the meeting expressed their objections to the ‘exclusion’ of Madhesi, ethnic and marginalised communities in the September 21 recommendation and demanded the PHSC to send back the CC proposal. Moreover those legislators having reservations to the CC recommendation said the recommendation process itself was wrong and against the spirit of the Interim Constitution of Nepal-2007.

However, chief whips and some leaders from the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and UCPN (Maoist) were in favour of an immediate approval to the recommendation to pave the way for the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances. Meanwhile, the PHSC Secretariat has received eight complaints against the proposed candidates for the posts of NHRC Chairperson and members. Chinkaji Shrestha who is  the Congress lawmaker and Chief Whip while another leader, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, UML Chief Whip Agni Kharel, and UCPN (M) parliamentary board secretary Agni Prasad Sapkota were in line of endorsing the CC decision keeping in mind the national necessity though it was not inclusive. while nest meeting is decided to organize in oct 12. According to PHSC President Kul Bahadur Gurung, ” other lawmakers even from the ruling parties and those from the opposition and small parties declined the request of chief whips and adopt the principle of inclusiveness in the appointment”

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