Constitutional appointments likely in a week
- Lokman Singh Karki is Maoist, Madhesi favourite for CIAA chief
The government is likely to fill several positions in key constitutional bodies, including the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the Office of the Auditor General, in a week. The positions are lying vacant for over five years now.
The appointment process is finally drawing to a close as part of a broader deal among the political parties, according to multiple sources. The CIAA could see commissioners and the chief commissioner being appointed if the consensus process among the parties does not break down the consitutional bodies.
The government’s decision to withdraw its decision to legalise war-era land transactions is seen as part of this wider consensual approach to reslove outstanding issues, including constitutional appointments.
Sources privy to discussions on this said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has made up his mind to call a meeting of the Constitutional Council to appoint the candidates, most likely this week.
“I want to clarify that the government has already prepared the roster of experts to be appointed as commissioners of the various constitutional bodies and their appointments will be made soon,” the PM told a public function organised on the occasion of the ‘CIAA Day’ here. Bhattarai’s political advisor Devendra Poudel said the government has intensified talks to make the appointments and that it has zeored in on some particular names.
According to government sources, the PM has shortlisted potential candidates and has begun reaching out to oppossiton parties to forge an understanding. The PM, who had tried to appoint commissioners through an open competition in his first few weeks in office, now wants to make these appointments through political consensus. Multiple sources said the government has made up its mind to propose former Chief Secretary Lokman Singh Karki as the CIAA Chief Commissioner. The ruling UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties are keen on seeing Karki as the head of the anti-graft body.
However, the opposition, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, are not convinced that the coveted post should go to a “former royalist.” Karki was Chief Secretary during former king Gyanendra’s rule in 2005.
“NC and UML will not accept him [Karki] as the CIAA chief. Even if the government proposes this, we will foil such a move as we hold a majority in the constitutional council,” said a UML leader. He went on to claim that other Constitutional Council members, Ram Chandra Poudel from the NC, Jhala Nath Khanal from the UML, Speaker Subas Nembang and Chief Justice Khilaraj Regmi stand oppossed to Karki’s appointment.
As this story developed late in the evening on Saturday, oppossition leaders could not be reached for comments.
Immediately after assuming office in August last year, PM Bhattarai had announced he would appoint the office bearers in all the constitutional bodies within 15 days. However, the process was stalled after all three major parties staked claim to the CIAA leadership.
NC has been demanding former Secretary Baburam Acharya be appointed as the CIAA chief, while the UML favours former Law Secretary Udaya Nepali Shrestha. CIAA Secretary Bhagwati Kumar Kafle, former Law Secretary Madhav Poudel and former Local Development Minister Ram Kumar Shrestha, among others, have applied for the position. The entire board of the CIAA is vacant for the last five years and Kafle has been running it in the capacity of the Acting Chief Commissioner.
If all goes as planned by the government, the country is likely to see Acting Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety as the Chief Election Commissioner, Kayodevi Yami as the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission and Bhanu Acharya as Auditor General.
Posted on: 2012-02-12 08:03
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