As many as 157 lawmakers from the governing CPN (Maoist Centre) and the main opposition CPN-UML on Wednesday evening registered an impeachment motion against Lokman Singh Karki, chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), at the Parliament Secretariat.

The impeachment motion was registered hours after Parliament formed an 11-member impeachment recommendation committee in line with the constitution.

As per Article 101 (2) of the constitution, one fourth of the total number of sitting members of the House of Representatives may move a motion of impeachment against the chief justice or a judge of the Supreme Court, member of the Judicial Council, chief or official of a constitutional body on the ground of his or her failure to fulfil his or her duties of office because of serious violation of the constitution and law, incompetence or misconduct or failure to discharge the duties of office honestly or serious violation of the code of conduct.

As per Article 101 (6), after the commencement of impeachment proceedings, the person in question shall not be allowed to discharge the duties of his or her office pending the settlement of such proceedings.

The impeachment motion, was handed over to Manohar Prasad Bhattarai, general secretary of the Parliament Secretariat at around 4:45.

The Parliament Secretariat late on Wednesday dispatched letters to the Office of

the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers,

the Constitutional Council and Karki informing about the registration of impeachment motion and his suspension.

Speaker Onasari Gharti told the Post that she had been informed about the registration of the impeachment proposal against Karki with the signatures of 157 lawmakers.

Discussions on the motion will begin from Thursday, according to Speaker Gharti.

“It has already been included in the business of the House,” she said. After the House meeting starts at 1pm on Thursday, Speaker Gharti will inform Parliament about the impeachment motion and then forward it to the 11-member impeachment recommendation committee.

Energy Minister and Maoist leader Janardan Sharma also said that 157 lawmakers, including 45 lawmakers from the Maoist Centre, registered the impeachment proposal. Four Maoist ministers, including Sharma and Daljit Shripaili, are among those who have signed the proposal.

The registration of a motion seeking to impeach Karki coincides with his return to Nepal from his extended foreign stay. Karki, who had left for Canada on September 19, returned home on Wednesday evening.

UML Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal said all senior party leaders except Chairman KP Sharma Oli have signed the proposal. Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Subas Nembang are among the senior leaders of the UML who have signed the proposal.

Nepali Congress (NC) Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha said his party would arrive at a decision regarding the impeachment motion registered by the Maoist and UML lawmakers later.

The NC was not consulted before registering the motion, he said.

Karki is also facing a court case in which his appointment as the CIAA chief has been challenged.

A Supreme Court summons to Karki to appear before it has already been delivered.