Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Political parties are urging the Regulations Drafting Committee of the House of Representatives to address impeachment motion issues in the new regulation. They are saying that the new regulations should include clear provisions for the carry-over of impeachment motions to the next parliament.
The previous parliament’s term ended without a decision on transferring the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana to the next parliament.
Leaders want clarity on the transfer of the impeachment motion as the motion against Rana was forwarded to the impeachment recommendation committee only six months after it was registered. The committee, however, did not submit its report to the House of Representatives, citing a lack of time. They, therefore, want the drafting committee to address the issue in the new regulation.
The House of Representatives Regulations 2018 stated that impeachment proceedings against chiefs and members of constitutional bodies must conclude within a set timeframe. The impeachment motion against then CJ Rana was registered on February 13 and a committee was formed three weeks later. The committee concluded that the Chief Justice could be impeached and recommended further discussions in the next parliament.
However, after the parliament’s term ended, the General Secretary of the Federal Parliament Secretariat Bharat Raj Gautam wrote a letter on December 7, stating that the impeachment motion was no longer valid as the term of the House of Representatives had ended.
This decision was unexpected and caught many by surprise. A writ petition was also filed against it at the Supreme Court, where the case is still pending.
Parliament officials say that the new regulations will apply to the impeachment motion against Rana. Whether the motion will still remain active depends on whether the new regulations specify that the impeachment motion can be transferred from one parliament to the other.
