This will be the first such instance in its history if the government translates its plan into practice and appoints chiefs and members at the statutory bodies through free competition.[break]
According to a knowledgeable government source, the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) has already formulated a new ´working procedure´ on appointing chiefs and members at constitutional bodies via open competition.
The new working procedure will be submitted at a meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) scheduled for Friday afternoon. "The meeting is likely to endorse the working procedure," said the source, adding, "The CC Secretariat will move forward accordingly after the procedure is approved by the meeting."
The mechanism stipulates the qualifications, contributions, responsibilities and jurisdictions of the chiefs and members to be appointed to such independent bodies.
According to provisions incorporated in the procedure, the CC Secretariat first publishes public notices in some broadsheet newspapers calling applications from interested candidates. Those who are interested have to submit at least three things---CV, his/her past contribution in related fields and future plans after getting the appointments sought.
"The government has began preparations to appoint chiefs and members at such bodies through open competition in a bid to set up a system that ensures sound, qualified, eligible and dynamic candidates," said the source, adding, "This move will also end the tendency of politicizing constitutional bodies under the pretext of power sharing."
There are complaints that the constitutional bodies have not been carrying out their responsibilities in a free, fair and effective manner for lack of independent candidates.
The members of the CC will assess the applicants´ documents, and subsequently the CC Secretariat will forward the names of selected candidates to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. As per provisions in the interim constitution, the president appoints the chiefs and members at constitutional bodies upon the recommendation of the CC Secretariat.
Owing to differences among political parties over the sharing of public positions, the process of appointing chiefs and members at constitutional bodies has been stalled for a long time.
The posts of chiefs and members are lying vacant at various constitutional bodies including Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Election Commission (EC), Public Service Commission (PSC) and Office of Auditor General (OAG).
The CIAA has been without a chief and five of its members for the past five years while the EC has not had a chief and one of its members for the past two and half years.
The PSC and OAG have also been without chiefs for the past five years.
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