KATHMANDU: A constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana is hearing the case filed against the appointment of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Vice Chairman Bamdev Gautam as a member to the National Assembly today.
Gautam’s case has been scheduled for hearing today.
The constitutional bench comprising Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana, Justices Deepak Kumar Karki, Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha and Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada will hear Gautam’s case.
Advocate Badri Raj Bhatta and Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed writ petitions separately at the court after President Bidhya Bhandari nominated Gautam to the Upper House on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
Earlier, the bench of Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai on September 23 had concluded that the writ petition filed by senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi will be settled by the constitutional bench.
In a bid to patch up the widening rift in the ruling NCP, a Secretariat meeting of the party had decided to nominate Bam Dev Gautam to National Assembly with assurances that he would be given a key portfolio in the cabinet.
Abiding by the party decision, the government recommended President Bidhya Bhandari to appoint Gautam to the Upper House.
NCP Vice Chair Gautam, who participated in the general election of 2017 from Bardiya-1, lost the polls to Sanjay Gautam of the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC).
The petition demands revocation of Gautam’s appointment citing that the trend of appointing the people who failed to win people’s vote as lawmakers has defamed the Upper House and caused decline of faith in parliamentary system as well.
Petitioners have even pointed out that such practices are against the spirit of the Constitution.
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