Kathmandu, August 22
The National Human Rights Commission has expressed its concerns over recent media reports that major political parties have agreed on some names for the officials of two transitional justice mechanisms.
The constitutional human rights watchdog says the parties should not make decisions about the appointments as the government has already formed a committee to recommend the officials as per the legal provision.
Citing the commission is also a part of the panel, the commission’s chair Anup Raj Sharma says in a statement, “There should not be any confusion that the recommendation committee formed by the law has a responsibility to recommend the officials. The committee should recommend qualified persons in an independent, fair, victim-friendly and transparent manner and in line with norms and values of human rights.”
But, if the parties go on to make the appointments on the basis of their consensus as reported by media, there would not be fairness, neutrality and transparency and the commission would rethink whether to stay in the committee, warns the constitutional body.
Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that ruling Nepal Communist Party and main opposition Nepali Congress agreed to recommend former attorney general Raman Kumar Shrestha to head the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and former justice Lokendra Mallik to head the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.
