Appointments, budget overshadow 5-pt deal
KATHMANDU, JUL 10 -
Negotiations for power sharing, especially appointments to vacant positions in key constitutional bodies and those of vice chancellors of seven universities, and budgetary allocation have taken precedence over implementation of the five-point deal as the current fiscal year comes to an end next week.
The ruling parties and main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) have been holding hectic negotiations over the last two weeks to find common ground for filling the key constitutional positions and normalising the budgetary process that has been derailed for the last three years.
Though none of the leaders has directly linked the issues in the budget with the appointments, the timing of the discussion on appointments suggests there is an element of trade-off.
The meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC), the body that makes the appointments, is scheduled for July 13, a day before this year’s budget is scheduled to be presented in the House. Already negotiators are reporting some progress on the names, but a breakthrough remains stymied by competing claims on the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s (CIAA) leadership. Leaders involved in the discussion are optimistic that a solution can be found over the next few days.
The posts of chiefs and commissioners of four constitutional bodies—CIAA, Public Service Commission, Election Commission and the Office of the Auditor’s General—are lying vacant for several years. The posts of vice chancellors of five running and two proposed universities are also lying vacant for the last several months.
Party sources told the Post that they are close to an agreement on giving the leadership of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to Kayo Devi Yami, the current seniormost commissioner at the PSC—a name recommended by the Maoists
The Maoists are flexible on allowing the UML to recommend the Chief Election Commissioner from its quota. But, UML leaders want a CIAA Chief Commissioner of their own instead.
The ruling parties have also offered the post of VC of Tribhuwan University and those of two commissioners of the CIAA to NC, according to an NC leader. But Congress leaders haven’t given up their claim to the leadership of the CIAA yet. According to UML leader Surendra Pandey, there has been a tentative agreement to recommend the name of Bhanu Acharya, a former Finance Secretary for the post of Auditor General. Acharya is to get recommendation from the NC’s quota.
Sources close to Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal said that he has mandated the UML negotiation team to reach an understanding with other parties “at any cost” and recommend names before the next meeting of the Constitutional Council scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
“Discussions are heading in a positive direction. We are hopeful that the negotiations will yield results within the next few days,” said UML Vice-Chairman Bam Dev Gautam, a negotiator from his party.
Leaders engaged in closed door discussions said that PM Khanal has assigned the job of holding negotiations with NC to UML Vice-Chairman Gautam and Defence Minister Bishnu Poudel.
From NC, Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel and party leader Ram Sharan Mahat are taking the lead. Barsha Man Pun is leading the Maoist side in the negotiations, according to leaders privy to developments.
Seven universities: Tribhuwan, Nepal Sanskrit, Purbanchal, Pokhara, Agriculture, Mid-western and Far-western University are san Vice-chancellors. Several rounds of the CC meeting have ended inclusively as all Big Three are sticking to their demands.
Source: Kantipur
Negotiations for power sharing, especially appointments to vacant positions in key constitutional bodies and those of vice chancellors of seven universities, and budgetary allocation have taken precedence over implementation of the five-point deal as the current fiscal year comes to an end next week.
The ruling parties and main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) have been holding hectic negotiations over the last two weeks to find common ground for filling the key constitutional positions and normalising the budgetary process that has been derailed for the last three years.
Though none of the leaders has directly linked the issues in the budget with the appointments, the timing of the discussion on appointments suggests there is an element of trade-off.
The meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC), the body that makes the appointments, is scheduled for July 13, a day before this year’s budget is scheduled to be presented in the House. Already negotiators are reporting some progress on the names, but a breakthrough remains stymied by competing claims on the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s (CIAA) leadership. Leaders involved in the discussion are optimistic that a solution can be found over the next few days.
The posts of chiefs and commissioners of four constitutional bodies—CIAA, Public Service Commission, Election Commission and the Office of the Auditor’s General—are lying vacant for several years. The posts of vice chancellors of five running and two proposed universities are also lying vacant for the last several months.
Party sources told the Post that they are close to an agreement on giving the leadership of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to Kayo Devi Yami, the current seniormost commissioner at the PSC—a name recommended by the Maoists
The Maoists are flexible on allowing the UML to recommend the Chief Election Commissioner from its quota. But, UML leaders want a CIAA Chief Commissioner of their own instead.
The ruling parties have also offered the post of VC of Tribhuwan University and those of two commissioners of the CIAA to NC, according to an NC leader. But Congress leaders haven’t given up their claim to the leadership of the CIAA yet. According to UML leader Surendra Pandey, there has been a tentative agreement to recommend the name of Bhanu Acharya, a former Finance Secretary for the post of Auditor General. Acharya is to get recommendation from the NC’s quota.
Sources close to Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal said that he has mandated the UML negotiation team to reach an understanding with other parties “at any cost” and recommend names before the next meeting of the Constitutional Council scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
“Discussions are heading in a positive direction. We are hopeful that the negotiations will yield results within the next few days,” said UML Vice-Chairman Bam Dev Gautam, a negotiator from his party.
Leaders engaged in closed door discussions said that PM Khanal has assigned the job of holding negotiations with NC to UML Vice-Chairman Gautam and Defence Minister Bishnu Poudel.
From NC, Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel and party leader Ram Sharan Mahat are taking the lead. Barsha Man Pun is leading the Maoist side in the negotiations, according to leaders privy to developments.
Seven universities: Tribhuwan, Nepal Sanskrit, Purbanchal, Pokhara, Agriculture, Mid-western and Far-western University are san Vice-chancellors. Several rounds of the CC meeting have ended inclusively as all Big Three are sticking to their demands.
Source: Kantipur
