The ruling CPN is divided on whether to approve Samim Ansari, who has forged his citizenship, for chairman of the Muslim Commission by the Constitutional Council or not.
CPN General Secretary Bishnu Paudel has written to the Election Commission to remove Ansari's name from the closed list for proportional representation (PR) system in the last general election after some CPN leaders prepared to reject Ansari by mentioning even his political affiliation.
The criteria set for appointment at the constitutional bodies forbid politically affiliated persons. But the Constitutional Council recommended Ansari who was in the closed list submitted by the then CPN-UML for PR system in the last general election.
The letter sent by CPN to the Election Commission mentions that the secretariat meeting on February 22 had taken the decision to withdraw the name of Ansari. But secretariat member and senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal told Setopati that the secretariat meeting that day did not discuss about Ansari and expressed ignorance about the Ansari controversy.
But general secretary Paudel claimed that the decision was taken in the secretariat meeting. "The decision was taken after discussion," he added.
Ansari, who had joined the then UML from Rastriya Janata Party Nepal before the local election, is considered close to Chairman KP Sharma Oli in the party. He was the first ranked among the Muslims in the closed list of UML due to his proximity to Oli, and was denied the post only due to the mandatory provision requiring one-third female representation in the parliament.
The Election Commission has already written to the Parliamentary Hearing Committee on February 23 informing Ansari was in the closed list of UML and is the central member of CPN. Paudel wrote to the Election Commission to remove Ansari's name the very next day.
The parliamentary committee is also investigating the authenticity of Ansari's citizenship and educational certificates. The committee, that had received four complaints against Ansari, last Tuesday decided to probe into his credentials.
The photocopy of citizenship that Ansari had presented to the Constitutional Council mentioned that he was born on October 10, 1973. He also mentioned that the citizenship was issued on January 6, 199 from Kathmandu ward no. 9.
But his date of birth is October 10, 1980 as per the record kept in the District Administration Office, Kathmandu and the record mentions that the citizenship was issued from Kathmandu ward no. 19. The last digit of his year of birth 2037 (BS), 7 has been overwritten with 0 to make it 2030 in another record in the District Administration Office.
Lawmakers in the committee close to the Madhav Nepal faction are preparing to reject Ansari on the grounds of forged citizenship certificate. But those close to Oli are working to get Ansari approved.
Ansari is busy in political lobbying after learning that the parliamentary committee is preparing to reject him. He recently met deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang and asked about the hearing process. A source told Setopati that he met Oli at Baluwatar immediately after meeting Nembang.
