Kathmandu, June 22

The Parliament today paved the way for the formation of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee by passing the parliamentary regulations. The PHC conducts confirmation hearing for constitutional post holders, ambassadors and chief justice.

A joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly unanimously passed the Federal Parliament Joint Meeting and Joint Committee (Operation) Regulations.

Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara announced the endorsement of the parliamentary regulations and said the provisions of the regulations came into effect immediately after the Parliament’s endorsement.

The Constitutional Council has already recommended Acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court Deepak Raj Joshee for the post of chief justice, but his confirmation hearing has not taken place due to lack of PHC.

Another constitutional body, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is also without the chief commissioner since mid-February. The government also needs to recommend ambassadors to some countries, including India.

The newly endorsed regulations have a provision that if the confirmation hearing cannot take place within 45 days, the person recommended by the Constitutional Council will be deemed automatically confirmed.

Deputy Spokesperson for the Parliament Secretariat Keshav Aryal said passage of the parliamentary regulations would help the Parliament form committees mentioned in the regulations.  “Political parties are trying to form these committees. Forming parliamentary committees is a political process and it depends on how much time parties take to form these committees,” he added.

The NA and the HoR already have their respective regulations. HoR regulations have a provision for the formation of 10 thematic committees in the lower house, while the NA Regulations have a provision for the formation of four parliamentary panels in the upper house.