Nepal government to annul over 150 political appointments via ordinances

The government is preparing to annul all types of public appointments in one go. Through five ordinances recommended for approval by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the government plans to cancel political appointments.

The appointments to be annulled include those made by the previous government led by Sushila Karki to the National Nature Conservation Fund, including Adarsh Shrestha, and others appointed to constitutional bodies. The government is set to dismiss officials appointed politically in over 150 bodies, including commissions, councils, universities, and academies. This includes appointments made by the KP Oli government in media outlets like Nepal Television and PSB.

The decision to annul appointments in one sweep via ordinance is to avoid legal complications that could arise from removing officials individually, which might allow them to return to their positions.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ordinances aim to make appointments in public bodies transparent and competitive, and to end partisan politicization. The government has recommended amending provisions of the Constitutional Council Act, 2066, through an ordinance. Following the formation of the government under Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah, there has been talk of annulling old constitutional, legal, and political appointments, which could result in over 1,200 positions being vacated. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat has indicated preparations for new appointments based on competition.

According to the Prime Minister’s press advisor, Deepa Dahal, an ordinance to amend the Cooperative Act, 2074, seeks to address various issues in the cooperative sector. It includes provisions for regulating savings and credit cooperatives, requiring them to obtain operational licenses, and establishing a ‘Chakra Relief Fund’ for the immediate return of savings to members of troubled cooperatives.

Similarly, an ordinance to amend certain Nepal Acts related to universities and health science institutes has been recommended. These ordinances are aligned with the ordinance for the dismissal of public officials appointed politically in the past.

Additionally, an ordinance to amend some Nepal Acts has been recommended, which will amend 20 acts. This ordinance aims to remove obstacles in laws related to land, surveying, revenue, education, forests, health, civil service, and insurance.

Furthermore, an ordinance to make special provisions for the dismissal of public officials has been recommended. This ordinance is intended to remove officials appointed politically who are currently in office.

An ordinance to amend the Public Procurement Act, 2063, has also been recommended to make public procurement timely.