Kathmandu, May 16

Six proposals were filed today at the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat seeking amendment to the strength of the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee.

The proposals will be put to vote after the Parliament meets on May 26. The parties will try to reach consensus on the issue by then, according to sources in the ruling parties and the main opposition Nepali Congress.

Eleven parties in the government and Rastriya Nepa: Party jointly registered the proposal to amend the draft of the Legislature Parliament Regulations, seeking to have a 15-member PHSC as per the provision of the new constitution.

CPN-UML Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal registered the proposal on behalf of the 12 parties, stating that the strength of the PHSC should be in accordance with the constitutional provision.

Nepali Congress filed a separate proposal, seeking to make PHSC a 75-member body as per the spirit of transitional provision.

The NC’s proposal, registered by NC lawmakers Ananda Prasad Dhungana and Chandra Devi Joshi, states that the new strength can be implemented only after formation of the National Assembly after parliamentary elections are held and the PHSC should be made a 75-member body so that it could encompass all sides from the 601-member Parliament.

Ruling parties, however, have blamed NC for not showing willingness to implement the new constitution. After ruling parties and NC failed to forge consensus on the PHSC strength even after a series of meetings, they registered separate proposals today.

Ruling parties and the main opposition have proposed that only a two-third majority of the PHSC can reject a candidate’s name for appointment during the parliamentary hearing.

Lawmakers Prem Suwal and Anuradha Thapa Magar of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, Hari Charan Sah of the Nepali Janata Dal and Ram Kumar Rai of the Khumbuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal also filed their amendments.

The Parliament has not been able to bring its new regulations due to wrangling between ruling and opposition parties on the PHSC strength even nearly eight months after the Constituent Assembly promulgated the new constitution on September 20 and the CA was transformed to Legislature-Parliament.

The parliamentary hearing of 11 Supreme Court justices, Chief Justice Shushila Karki and 21 ambassadors has not been held due to the dispute.