Transitional Justice Bill: Working Group meets today

Kathmandu: The meeting of a three-member working group is convening today to reach consensus on the transitional justice bill. The meeting is taking place at the office of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in Singhadarbar.

The meeting includes stakeholders and working group members. Previously, on Friday, the working group had decided to consult with stakeholders before making decisions on unresolved issues.

The group has not yet reached an agreement on how to proceed in cases where victims do not provide free consent and whether to allow the option of going to court in such situations.

While the three main parties have agreed that individuals involved in serious human rights violations during the armed conflict could face up to 75 percent reduced penalties compared to current law, other issues remain unresolved. The working group plans to submit a report to the top leaders once consensus is reached on these matters.

The working group consists of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak from the Nepali Congress, CPN UML’s Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula and Deputy General Secretary of Maoist Center Janardan Sharma alias Prabhakar.