KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition on Tuesday challenging the legality of Dr. Biswo Poudel’s appointment as Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.
The case, which has already been deferred four times, is scheduled for a hearing before a joint bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Mahesh Sharma Paudel.
Over two dozen lawyers are expected to argue on behalf of both the petitioners and Governor Poudel.
The writ petition, filed by advocates Anantaraj Luintel, Pratibha Upreti, Bishal Thapa and others, claims that Dr. Poudel lacks the minimum academic qualifications mandated by law and therefore his appointment should be annulled.
In response, Governor Poudel has submitted a written statement asserting that he holds a qualification higher than what is required under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2002, which mandates a postgraduate degree in economics, monetary policy, commerce, banking, or finance.
Poudel has further argued that his prior experience as Vice Chair of the National Planning Commission, his tenure at the International Labour Organization (ILO), and his academic background as a professor of economics all justify the legality of his appointment.
On June 28, Justice Abdul Aziz Musalman’s single bench had issued a preliminary order directing the government and other respondents to submit evidence substantiating the legal basis for Dr. Poudel’s appointment.
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