The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee is set to elect its chairperson on Wednesday, moving a step ahead in conducting the parliamentary hearing of the chief election commissioner, ambassadors and justices that is on hold for more than a month.

After the first meeting of the PHSC, the Parliament Secretariat on Monday published the schedule for the election. Nominations are to be filed by 5 pm on Tuesday and the election will be held at 3 pm on Wednesday.

As per the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, Nepali Congress MP Kul Bahadur Gurung, the senior most member of the committee, is likely to be appointed as the chairman. The NC, which pressed for a 75-member committee for months, finally agreed to a 15-strong panel as the ruling coalition was ready to give it the leadership of the committee.

The first meeting of the committee formed a three-member team comprising Ganesh Man Gurung of the CPN-UML, Ananda Prasad Dhungana of the NC and Anita Kumari Yadav of the CPN (Maoist Centre) to develop the working procedure of the PHSC.

“The election is a mere formality. Gurung is sure to be elected as the chairperson,” said Ganesh Man. The procedure drafting committee would develop the first draft on Tuesday which will be finalised in the next two days.

“We are preparing to start the hearing process within a week,” he said. Parliament on Sunday endorsed the Legislature Parliament Business Operation Regulations-2016, ending an eight month long stalemate.

The hearing committee has six members from the NC, four from the UML, two from the Maoist party and one each from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik.

The appointment of the chief justice, the chief election commissioner, justices and ambassadors was halted in the absence of the hearing committee. CJ nominee Sushila Karki and CEC nominee Ayodhee Prasad Yadav have been leading the institutions as their acting chiefs. The appointment of 11 justices for the Supreme Court and 21 ambassadors for foreign missions recommended over a month ago has not materialised in the absence of the hearing panel.