The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has unanimously endorsed Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya for the post of chief election commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday.
A meeting of the committee held at the Singha Durbar on Wednesday unanimously endorsed Thapaliya despite Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers asking questions about his allegiance with the ruling CPN.
NC lawmaker from Province 3 Narottam Baidya had lodged a complaint claiming Thapaliya is close to the ruling CPN and will convert the Election Commission into a party organization.
NC lawmakers Pushpa Bhusal and Bhimsen Das Pradhan asked Thapaliya how a person with allegiance to a particular party can run the Election Commission fairly based on that complaint.
CPN lawmakers instead of asking questions of their own used their turn to answer the questions raised by NC lawmakers. "A former central vice-president of Nepal Students Union became chief justice. Everybody knows the political allegiance of current Public Service Commission chief. But nobody raised questions about their performance," CPN lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai fumed.
Bhattarai pointed how nobody raised questions about neutrality of the election conducted by Bhoj Raj Pokharel as CEC and told NC lawmakers that raising such questions about Thapaliya is ironic.
Another CPN lawmaker Parvat Gurung sarcastically commented that NC has started preparations to find an excuse for the next electoral loss.
Answering the questions Thapaliya pointed how CPN lawmakers had already answered some of the questions. "I did not do student politics. I have not taken membership of any party. I don't remember taking membership as the complainant claims. It should be investigated if it is so," Thapaliya," said.
The committee also unanimously endorsed Bishnu Maya Ojha for member of the National Inclusion Commission.
The Constitutional Council on March 25 had recommended Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration Thapaliya for the post of CEC and activist from Makwanpur Ojha for member of the National Inclusion Commission.
