CC yet to set transparent criteria for appointments

KATHMANDU, Nov 2: Though the government decided to appoint chiefs and members to various constitutional bodies through an open competition, the Constitutional Council (CC) is yet to set transparent criteria for appointments.



The government had issued a public notice calling for applications from eligible candidates for the posts and nearly 200 aspirants filed applications at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). But due to lack of transparent appointment criteria, the appointment process has fallen in limbo. [break]



“If the government is really committed to appointing competent chiefs and members in a transparent and fair manner, it has to follow certain norms,” opined Professor Dr Bhim Dev Bhatta, adding, “The Constitutional Council (CC) secretariat should screen the qualified candidates and recommend the names to the CC.”



According to a source at the PMO, the CC is mulling certain criteria for transparent and fair appointments. “It would be unfair if the selection is made on a power sharing basis,” said Professor Bhatta, who is also a former member of the Public Service Commission.



He suggested to the CC secretariat to screen the names on the basis of applicants’ past track records, contributions, qualifications and future plans. “The CC should appoint chiefs and members to the constitutional bodies based on the recommendation of the CC secretariat,” he added.



“The CC is all set to devise an appointment mechanism as per its recently amended regulation,” said a source, “The appointment process will be transparent and only deserving candidates will be selected.”



However, a CC member said the appointment process will not be different from the past.



Another source close to Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said there will be no independent committee to select and recommend qualified candidates and the CC members themselves will pick candidates from among the

applicants.



“The CC should have formed an independent committee to select deserving candidates,” opined a former secretary, adding, “The appointment process will court controversy if CC members themselves select candidates as in the past.”



To date, the CC has been appointing chiefs and members on the basis of power sharing among the major political parties.



Owing to differences between the political parties over the sharing of public positions, the process of appointing chiefs and members to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Election Commission (EC), Public Service Commission (PSC) and Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has fallen in limbo.



Chairman of Special Court Gauri Bahadur Karki, CIAA Secretary Bhagwati Kafle, former secretaries Madhav Paudel, Ram Kumar Shrestha, Baburam Acharya, Umesh Mainali, Dipendra Bikram Thapa, among others, have applied for the post of CIAA chief, while former secretaries Yubaraj Pandey, Udaya Nepali Shrestha, Ram Swarup Sinha, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya and incumbent Secretary Shyam Prasad Mainali, among others, have applied for various other constitutional posts. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety has applied for the post of chief election commissioner.

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