Kathmandu, July 2

A meeting of the House of Representative today passed  the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (First Amendment) Bill.

The bill which replaced the ordinance brought by the erstwhile Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government was tabled in the lower House by the Minister for Law, Justice, and Federal Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang.

This bill has extended the tenure of the two transitional justice mechanisms – Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

The Upper House has already passed the bill.

“Both houses have passed the bill. Now, the bill will be sent to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari for endorsement,” said Gopal Nath Yogi, a secretary at the Parliament Secretariat. The President is expected to approve the bill within two days, said Yogi.

“This is not only about the two commissions, it is also about the peace process. The peace process will not end without settling conflict era cases,” Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang said, while tabling the bill in the lower House. He claimed that within one year the two commissions would finish their work.

Of the total of 3,093 complaints received, the CIEDP has recommended 2,258 complaints for detailed investigation after completing preliminary investigations. Of them, detailed investigations have begun into more than 250 complaints.

On the other hand, the TRC has received more than 60,000 complaints and it is currently investigating 7,000 of them. It has set up an office in each province for the job.