10 December 2020, Kathmandu
Prime Minister KP Oli has summoned a meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) for Sunday.
According to a source close to the leader of the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, the meeting will be held at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar.
The meeting will discuss the agenda of the appointment of 46 vacant posts in 11 constitutional bodies.
The Constitutional Council chaired by Prime Minister has Chief Justice, Speaker of House of Representatives, Chairperson of National Assembly, leader of the main opposition party in the House of Representatives, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as its members. The post of Deputy Speaker is lying vacant.
The constitution has the provisions of 12 constitutional bodies/commissions. Each of them has five members including their Chairperson.
The only commission that has all office bearers as provisioned in the constitution is the Public Service Commission. All other commissions have many posts lying vacant.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the authority to curb corruption is sans its chief. CIAA which has the provisions of five office bearers has two posts of commissioners lying vacant. The only two commissioners in CIAA are also retiring on March 30 getting their tenure in office matured.
Likewise, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is lying sans office bearers since October 19. The Election Commission also has the post of two commissioners lying vacant.
National Women Commission is without senior office bearers for 56 months now. Unfortunately, the National Dalit Commission and Indigenous Nationalities Commission have not got their office bearers to date.
Madheshi Commission, Tharu Commission, Muslim Commission, and National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission which have the provisions of five members have four each lying vacant.
Including Chief Justice and Auditor General 62 posts of the 12 constitutional bodies are to be fulfilled at the decision of the constitutional council. 46 of them are lying vacant there now.
