The government has once again extended the term of the commission formed to probe the killings and devastation of the September 8 and 9 Gen Z movement. This is the third time the commission’s term has been extended.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday decided to extend the term of the commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki that is probing the two-day uprising that saw 77 people killed. The commission’s deadline has been extended by another 25 days, said Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, also the government spokesperson.

With this extension, the commission’s report is now expected to be released only after the elections on March 5 elections.

The commission has been investigating the KP Sharma Oli-led government’s deadly crackdown on the anti-corruption protests on September 8 and the widespread destruction of public and private property on September 9. Commission officials say they are currently busy writing the report and need some more time to finalise it.

The findings and recommendations of the Gauri Bahadur Karki-led commission are considered crucial.

Leaders from the old parties warn that if the report is released before the elections and it implicates leaders who are contesting, it could influence the electoral process. As the election code of conduct is already in effect, the Election Commission also has the authority to advise the government on the matter.

On Monday, the Karki commission requested the government for the term extension.

Speaking to the Post, a minister said that if the commission submitted its report, the government would be forced to make it public. “And that could be detrimental to the March election,” the minister told the Post on the condition of anonymity. “To avoid any kind of friction ahead of the election, we decided to extend the term and mandate of the commission.”

The Karki-led commission recently completed recording statements of key officials who were in office during the crackdown: former prime minister KP Sharma Oli; former home minister Ramesh Lekhak; former chief secretary Eknarayan Aryal; then home secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi; and then chief district officer of Kathmandu, Chhabi Rijal.

Statements were also recorded from other leaders, including former Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba; Nepali Communist Party’s coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal; and former Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor Balendra Shah.

From the security agencies, statements were recorded from then inspector general of Nepal Police, Chandra Kuber Khapung; current inspector general Dan Bahadur Karki; Armed Police Force Inspector General Raju Aryal; Nepali Army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel; and then head of the National Investigation Department, Hutaraj Thapa.

There is big public interest in the commission’s findings, as the two-day crackdown and violence eventually claimed 77 lives and caused property damage worth billions of rupees.

Earlier, on January 22, the Cabinet had extended the commission’s term by 20 days. Now the commission has received another 25 days, which, apparently, will be enough to prepare the report.

Meanwhile, there is confusion over whether Karki will submit the report to the present government or hand it over to the new one which might take some more time to be formed after the election.

Since several high-profile leaders were called to record their statements, implicating any of them ahead of the elections might pose a serious security threat, said an official at the prime minister’s office.

The official said several leaders, particularly from the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), have shown interest in the report’s content.

CPN-UML chief Oli was the prime minister during the Gen Z movement in September. The commission also recorded statements from RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah, who resigned as mayor last month and joined the RSP to contest the elections.

Lamichhane faces allegations related to jailbreak from Nakhhu prison on September 8, while Shah, who was the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City at the time, has been criticised for his conduct during the Gen Z protests.

The government formed the commission on September 21. Initially given a three-month timeframe, the commission was later granted an additional 20 days. Originally, the commission was tasked with investigating human and material losses during the protests; analysing the causes of the incidents; submitting findings and recommendations; collecting information on damage; proposing measures to prevent a recurrence; and preparing an action plan to implement its recommendations.

The commission’s mandate was expanded following a 10-point agreement between Gen Z representatives and the government on November 30.