KATHMANDU: Parliamentary hearings for Nepal’s proposed Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioner nominees begin today, with the hearings scheduled to run over two days.

On the first day, Tuesday, the Parliamentary Hearing Committee will examine the nominees for Election Commissioner, while the hearing for the nominee for Chief Election Commissioner will take place on Wednesday.

The Constitutional Council on July 3 recommended Man Bahadur Karki for the post of Chief Election Commissioner and Dr. Rajiv Subba and Guru Prasad Wagle for appointment as Election Commissioners.

According to Parliamentary Hearing Committee Chair Bodhnarayan Shrestha, the committee meeting has been convened for 11:15 a.m. to begin the hearings.

Following the recommendations, the committee invited public complaints and suggestions on July 10. Shrestha said the committee received one formal complaint and one suggestion.

Bhesh Raj Luintel of Tansen Municipality-9, Palpa, filed a complaint urging the committee not to endorse Karki’s nomination, calling for the recommendation to be rejected and for a detailed investigation. Meanwhile, Ujjwal Krishna Shrestha of Lalitpur submitted a suggestion proposing that committee decisions be made through a lottery system instead of by majority vote.

Shrestha said the committee will first hold discussions with the complainant on Wednesday before proceeding with Karki’s parliamentary hearing. He added that all three nominees have already submitted their respective action plans to the committee.

During the hearings, each nominee will present their proposed work plan before committee members question them, with particular focus on the issues raised in the complaint.