KATHMANDU: Just days after resolving a month-and-a-half-long dispute within the ruling coalition, the Nepali Congress has secured the appointment of the new Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. Attention within the Nepali Congress–CPN-UML alliance has now shifted to deciding who will be appointed the next Chief Election Commissioner.
With Congress obtaining the governor’s post, UML leaders have argued that the position of Chief Election Commissioner should go to their party.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had previously stated during a conversation with journalists on May 6 that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had agreed to allow Nepali Congress to choose the central bank governor. In line with that agreement, Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel was appointed governor on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has been operating under an acting head for over a month. Ram Prasad Bhandari, who himself is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court over his own appointment, has been serving as acting chief commissioner.
Currently, the commission is operating with only three out of its mandated five officials. One chief commissioner and one commissioner position remain vacant.
The commission had seen a sweeping round of appointments when the previous Oli-led government amended the Constitutional Council Act via ordinance and appointed 52 officials to various constitutional bodies in a single move. Among them, Ram Prasad Bhandari, Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, and Sagun Shumsher Jabara are now leading the Election Commission.
An official at the commission told Khabarhub, “If the Supreme Court annuls those 52 appointments, then even the current three officials will have to leave, making the commission completely leaderless.”
The constitution allows the government to appoint a Chief Election Commissioner either from among the sitting commissioners or from outside the commission. Six years ago, for instance, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya was appointed from outside the commission.
Sources say the commission has informally suggested appointing current acting chief Bhandari as the full Chief Commissioner. However, legal and practical challenges remain. Bhandari’s appointment is still under judicial review, and he is set to retire in 13 months due to the age limit. As a result, the government is reportedly looking for a candidate who can serve a full term.
While sources cite technical and legal delays, leaders within the ruling coalition acknowledge that the main stumbling block is a dispute between the Nepali Congress and UML over who gets to nominate the next Chief Election Commissioner.
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