Kathmandu, May 2

Nearly seven months after its formation, the Parliamentary Regulation Drafting Committee of the Legislature Parliament today decided to forward the draft regulation to the full House with two opinions on the strength of the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee.

“As consensus could not be forged on the strength of the committee, the panel decided to attach two opinions, leaving it to the House to decide.

Top leaders will further discuss the issue and the House will also take a decision after holding discussion among the lawmakers there,” said PRDC Chairman Radheshyam Adhikari.

It means the committee forwarded the debate to the court of the full House that will decide whether the PHSC should be a 73-member panel as the existing one

or it should be a 15-member body as provisioned by the new constitution.

Ruling partners have been pleading for a 15-member panel, while the main opposition party has been pleading for retaining the 73-member body until the National Assembly is formed for its representation as mentioned in the new constitution.

The draft is likely to be tabled in the House on Wednesday, according to Adhikari. The drafting committee was formed on October 12.

As per Article 292 of the new constitution, there will be a 15-member panel for parliamentary hearing of the appointments recommended by Constitutional Council, including chief justice, Supreme Court judges, members of Judicial Council and chiefs and members of constitutional bodies, and the ambassadors recommended by the government.

The panel will have the representation from the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

The hearing on 11 justices recommended for the Supreme Court, newly recommended Chief Justice Sushila Karki and 21 ambassadors has not been held due to the dispute over the PHSC.