The Constitutional Council has recommended around 18 names for different positions in various constitutional commissions, including the Public Service Commission.

A meeting of the Council, called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who chairs the Council, made the recommendations.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is a member of the Council as the leader of the main opposition, however, skipped the meeting. Similarly, House Speaker Agni Sapkota also did not attend the meeting.

Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and National Assembly chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina participated in the meeting.

“The council has made recommendations to fill vacant positions in various constitutional commissions,” Udaya Timilsina, a personal aide to National Assembly chair Timilsina, told the Post. “The list of the appointees is not available as yet. Hopefully, it will come out later today (Sunday).”

The recommendations were made on Sunday just a day ahead of Oli’s trust vote motion.

According to the sources at the Constitutional Council, former secretary Madhav Regmi has been recommended as a chair of the Public Service Commission. Similarly, Dilip Regmi, former chief of the National Investigation Department, has been recommended as a member of the Commission of Investigation on the Abuse of Authority. Another person recommended as a member of the anti-corruption agency is Hari Poudel, according to source.

Likewise, former secretary Bir Bahadur Rai has been recommended as a commissioner of the Election Commission.

All the appointees must face the parliamentary hearing before they are appointed.

The government on Tuesday re-issued an ordinance to amend the Constitutional Council Act (Functions, Duties and Procedures) 2010 after the same ordinance issued on December 15 last year couldn’t be presented before the Parliament during its winter session. The ordinance was introduced to amend the Act to make it easier for holding the Council meeting.

As per the amendment, the meeting can be held if the majority of members are present.

Before the amendment, at least five members and the chairperson’s presence was a must to hold a meeting

The constitution has envisioned six-members in the prime minister-led Council.

Currently, there are only five members, as there is no deputy Speaker in the House.

As per the constitutional provisions, chief justice, House Speaker, leader of the opposition, National Assembly chair and deputy Speaker are the members of the Council.

Oli’s move to introduce the ordinance to amend the Constitutional Council Act on December 15 had drawn widespread criticism. Oli had then promised to his then party Nepal Communist Party (NCP) that he would withdraw the ordinance.

But instead, on the evening of December 15, Oli called a meeting of the Council as per the ordinance and recommended 38 names to fill various posts in 11 constitutional bodies, including the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. However, only 32 of them took the oath of the office and secrecy on February 3.

Five days after issuing the ordinance, Oli dissolved the House of Representatives on December 20.

The constitutional provision of parliamentary hearings of those recommended was also skipped as there was no House, and subsequently no committee to conduct the hearing.