Kathmandu, June 12

A joint meeting of the upper and lower houses will be convened soon to endorse the Joint Parliamentary Committee Regulation, which will pave the way for the formation of two powerful panels that will play a crucial role in appointment of the chief justice and heads of constitutional bodies.

The joint meeting scheduled for yesterday could not take place yesterday due to lack of political consensus on provisions of the draft Joint Parliamentary Committee Regulation. The Parliament Secretariat has said the joint meeting will be held upon confirmation of the date by the upper and lower houses. Members of the House of Representatives are meeting tomorrow to confirm the date for the joint meeting, said Rajendra Phuyal, secretary at the National Assembly. “The upper house will agree to hold the joint meeting on the date recommended by the House of Representatives,” he added. NA members are meeting on June 17.

The joint meeting will approve the Joint Parliamentary Committee Regulation, according to Phuyal. “The separate meetings of the lower and upper houses will try to forge political consensus for endorsing the regulation,” said Phuyal. Enforcement of the regulation is crucial for the formation of Public Hearing Special Committee and Constitution Implementation and Monitoring Committee.

The Constitution Implementation and Monitoring Committee will look into implementation of constitutional provisions and issue directives if rights guaranteed by the constitution are not upheld.  The Public Hearing Special Committee, on the other hand, will play a crucial role in appointment of chief justice of the Supreme Court and heads of constitutional bodies, such as the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and National Natural Resource and Fiscal Commission.