KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 22

The nine-member Secretariat of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) today urged the prime minister to take the initiative to convene Constitutional Council meeting and expedite the process of filling posts in constitutional bodies.

Dozens of posts in constitutional bodies, including the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, National Women Commission, Madhesi Commission and Muslim Commission have been lying vacant. In some commissions, chairpersons have been appointed, but members have not been appointed yet.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the Secretariat decided to urge the PM to appoint office bearers to constitutional bodies, as those posts had been lying vacant for an unusually long time.

The NCP Secretariat also urged all office bearers of the Constitutional Council to take a prompt decision to appoint office bearers of constitutional bodies.

NCP’s message was aimed at the leader of opposition, Sher Bahadur Deuba, who had boycotted Constitutional Council meetings recently.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who had accused Deuba of seeking spoils of political appointments, had brought an ordinance to change provisions of the Constitutional Council Act to allow the Council to take decisions on the basis of majority, but due to opposition parties’ resistance, the government had to rescind the ordinance. As per the Constitutional Council Act, decisions of the Council have to be taken on the basis of consensus.

Shrestha said the Secretariat expected the PM to work as per the spirit of the constitution while expediting the process of appointing office bearers to constitutional bodies.

According to Shrestha, the Secretariat of the ruling party also decided to give party cochairs Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Party General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Paudel 10 days to present a proposal on how to complete the remaining tasks of party unification. Shrestha said the Secretariat would decide after co-chairs and general secretary presented their proposal.

Shrestha said today’s meeting of the Secretariat expressed confidence that party unity and coordination between the party and the government would be strengthened as per the spirit of the Standing Committee.

When asked to react on lawyers moving the Supreme Court against the nomination of party Vice-chair Bamdev Gautam to the National Assembly, Shreshta said since Gautam was recommended by the party and the government, the government would defend his nomination in the Supreme Court.

When asked why the NCP government was using unnecessary force against protesters, Shrestha said using unnecessary force was against the policy of the NCP government and if that had happened anywhere, the government would probe those incidents.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 23, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.