Lawmakers of Communist party of Nepal (CPN) are not in favor of endorsement of Deepak Raj Joshi for the post of chief justice. Endorsement of Joshi has been stalled due to the dispute about his educational certificates.
The CPN members in the special committee for parliamentary hearing on Monday held a meeting with deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang in presence of former attorney general Hari Phuyal and lawyer Tika Ram Bhattarai before the meeting for taking decision on Joshi's endorsement.
The CPN lawmakers after the meeting told Setopati that they are not in favor of endorsing Joshi. They have now entered the meeting of the special committee to take final decision on Joshi's endorsement.
A simple majority can endorse recommended candidate while two-third majority is required to reject the candidate after parliamentary hearing. The ruling coalition including the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal has two-third majority in the special committee.
Approval of Joshi has been put on hold despite the four-hour-long parliamentary hearing ending on Thursday. The committee going against the practice of taking decision on the day of parliamentary hearing had called a meeting on Friday to decide on his endorsement. But the meeting did not take place and it was postponed for Sunday. It was again postponed for Monday.
The controversy about his educational qualification is currently being discussed at the highest political level. The meeting of special committee on Friday was postponed to Sunday after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli discussed the issue with oldest member of the special committee currently acting as chairman Laxman Lal Karna, member Yogesh Bhattarai and others. Members had told PM Oli that the meeting should be postponed as new facts emerged about Joshi’s educational certificates.
Committee members told Setopati that they found Friday morning that symbol number (3667) for SLC equivalent certificate submitted by Joshi to the committee was in name of one Hem Raj Lekali in the records for that year.
“The symbol number was in the name of another person in records,” a member told Setopati. “We have informed the PM about that. The committee will now decide in accordance to the instructions received from above.”
Another member stated that the recovered document is just a photocopy and the committee is undecided about its authenticity. “It is a photocopy. The IGP controversy was due to a photocopy. We need to study further,” the member told Setopati.
Sources at the PM Secretariat also confirmed that the PM has received documents about Joshi.
Kantipur daily on July 24 had also published a news report claiming that Joshi had the same symbol number for two separate examinations.
“Joshi has mentioned that he passed grade 10 in 2029 BS (1972 AD). He has mentioned the name of Bijay Memorial High School while submitting the details of the school he passed the secondary level from in another part of the same progress report. The year of passing the exams is 2029 and symbol number 3667. The symbol number is 3667 also in the details of his mark sheet issued by the head office of Nepal Rashtriya Bidhyapeeth in Birgunj,” Kantipur reported.
Joshi was recommended for the post of chief justice by the Constitutional Council on June 12.
The recommended candidate is appointed as chief justice by the president only after approval following parliamentary hearing.
