Government Criticized for Political Appointments Amidst Controversy

Kathmandu. Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been advocating the slogan 'Choose the knowledgeable'. During the elections, this party had also promised to 'free public bodies from party clutches'.

However, after reaching the government, RSP seems to have abandoned that slogan and promise. The government led by Prime Minister Balen Shah has abolished old political appointments by bringing an ordinance.

With the issuance of the Special Arrangement Ordinance on the Dismissal of Public Office Holders, 2083 BS by President Ram Chandra Paudel on Jestha 19, the leadership and members of 110 bodies were simultaneously dismissed. A total of 1,594 people were dismissed at once.

Although the government has stated that it has moved forward with the appointment process through open competition for the vacant posts, there are disputes regarding some individuals. In the past, every time the government changed, political appointments were canceled and their own people were recruited. Now, the government is also being criticized for showing the same style.

The series of controversies, starting with the appointment of officials at the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, has reached Nepal Airlines Corporation, Tribhuvan University Service Commission, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Gorkhapatra Sansthan, Nepal Civil Service Hospital, and Nepal Scout.

The appointments made by the government have been marred by political influence and favoritism towards those close to the ruling party. A common characteristic has been observed in all these appointments. It has come to light that the government is appointing individuals by pre-determining the candidates under the guise of open competition.

The government's slogans of 'Choose the knowledgeable', meritocracy, open competition, and legal standards are not being respected. It is alleged that the competition has been turned into a drama by pre-selecting the candidates.

Furthermore, the legal criteria for age and experience have been violated. Individuals facing serious ethical questions and corruption charges are being rewarded, and those close to the party are being given priority, turning public bodies into political recruitment centers in the old political style.

• Mere formality of open competition

The government is inviting applications under the guise of open competition. Selection committees are formed, and interviews are conducted, but the facts confirm that proximity to power centers, rather than expertise and qualifications, prevails in the final results.

A prime example of this is the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee. Dr. Bikash Adhikari was ranked first in the interview and work plan presentation for the executive chairman appointment.

However, the ministry revised the recommendation to create a setting and placed the second-ranked Dr. Anand Singh Bhat first, facilitating his appointment. There is also opposition to this appointment being given to a retired Nepali Army official.

A similar situation has been observed in the appointment of the Chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. Arjun Ghimire, an employee of the authority, was appointed hastily. It is alleged that the cabinet appointed him chairman while interviews for other candidates were still ongoing.

The cabinet made the decision at 3:30 PM on the day Ghimire was appointed, and he was appointed chairman. This process of political appointments by the government has limited open competition to mere formality.

This incident exemplifies how hollow the slogan of meritocracy is and how candidates are pre-determined.

• Age limit and disregard for law

The criteria for appointing officials in public bodies, 2073 BS, sets an age limit of 65 years for executive positions. However, the government has challenged the law to accommodate its favored individuals.

The Criteria for Appointment of Members and Officials of Public Bodies, 2073 BS, clearly states: 'The age of the person appointed as the executive head shall be between 30 years and not exceeding 65 years.' However, the government, which makes the rules, did not hesitate to break them.

At the Tribhuvan University Service Commission, where academic integrity and adherence to rules should be paramount, former secretary Kishore Thapa, who is 68 years old, was appointed as the chairman. Similarly, Maheshwarbhakta Shrestha, around 80 years old, was brought in to Nepal Airlines Corporation, entrusting him with the responsibilities of Chairman and General Manager.

Shrestha is the same person who was removed in 2049 BS for being deemed unfit during the 'Kudakarkat Safai Abhiyan' (debris cleaning campaign). Re-entrusting him with the leadership of the corporation after 34 years of retirement makes the government's slogans of novelty and expertise appear limited to mere rhetoric.

Re-entrusting him with the command of the same organization after 34 years of retirement raises the question of whether the government lacks capable young human resources. The question has arisen externally whether an 80-year-old can revive the struggling Nepal Airlines Corporation.

• Political color in Scout

The government has appointed Santosh Kumar Thapa as the Chief Commissioner of Nepal Scout. His appointment raises serious questions about the government's ethics. According to the Scout Act, 2050 BS, office bearers should not be affiliated with any political party.

However, Thapa is not only an election campaigner for Prime Minister Balen Shah but also an active figure in various levels of conventions and campaigns of RSP.

He faces serious allegations of human trafficking under the guise of Scout activities. Facts have emerged that he has assisted in sending individuals, including his nephew and many others, abroad through Scout programs and helping them stay there.

It is claimed that Thapa was directly involved in the individuals like Naveen Karki, Sachin Thoker, Palden Tamang, who went from Nepal to the 2022 Denmark Jamboree and the 2023 South Korea Jamboree, not returning to Nepal.

It is alleged that the tickets and documents for the trips were arranged through travel agencies associated with RSP leaders. Appointing a person involved in such serious controversies to lead Scout raises questions about the government's ethics.

Thapa's tendency to secure appointments by switching political affiliations (sometimes close to UML, sometimes Congress, and sometimes RSP) and the stain on him have tarnished the image of a sacred institution like Scout. Thapa's appointment in Scout mocks RSP's slogan of making public bodies politically free.

• Return of controversial figures

The government, which talks about corruption prevention and good governance, is also making appointments of individuals against whom complaints have been filed and who are under investigation.

Similar irregularities have been found in the appointment of the Executive Director of Nepal Civil Service Hospital. Even though Dr. Jitendra Pariyar had a complaint filed against him at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the ministry had sought details from the Medical Board, he was appointed before the board's response arrived.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway to bring back Rameshraj Acharya, a former executive director with a controversial reputation, to the Food Management and Trading Company. Appointing someone under CIAA investigation for allegations of appointing his wife to the same organization and financial irregularities to leadership again mocks the slogan of good governance.

The reappointment of Devraj Dhungana, who was deemed unqualified and removed from the Security Printing Center, has become another perplexing example.

• Where did the government falter?

The current government, especially the new force RSP and Prime Minister Balen Shah's team of independents, had given great hope to the public. Point number 12 of Balen government's 100-point agenda clearly stated: 'To completely free public administration from political interference and to free all civil servants from any party affiliation.'

However, the reality is the exact opposite. Appointing a political figure from outside the university as the chairman of the TU Service Commission for the first time, appointing an active political worker as commissioner in Scout, and protecting those accused of corruption confirms that this government is merely a new chapter in the old style.

Looking at it this way, after the government abolished the appointments of the previous government through an ordinance and managed to place its own cadres in the vacant posts, controversies have erupted.

The current government has repeated the old fate in the name of abolishing political appointments. It appears that the government is using the power granted by the ordinance to establish its favored individuals, even if it means violating the law.

In this manner, the government has already made appointments in 26 out of 110 bodies, while the process is underway in some. Appointments are yet to be made in many others.

Officials appointed to various vacant bodies

1. Nepal Airlines Corporation – Chairman Maheshwar Bhakta Shrestha

2. Gorkhapatra Sansthan – General Manager Hikmat Bahadur Rawal

3. Teacher Service Commission – Chairman Kishore Thapa

4. National Trust for Nature Conservation – Member Secretary – Dr. Chiranjivi Prasad Pokharel

5. Pashupati Area Development Trust – Member Secretary Tirtha Shrestha

6. Press Council – Chairman Umesh Shrestha

7. Telecommunications Authority – Chairman – Arjun Ghimire

8. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal – Director General Mukesh Dangol

9. Securities Board – Chairman Dr. Gopal Bhatta

10. Railway Board – Managing Director Paribesh Parajuli

11. Authority-Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee – Chairman Dr. Anand Singh Bhat

12. Nepal Scout – Chief Commissioner, Santosh Kumar Thapa

13. Electricity Regulatory Commission – Chairman, Dr. Ram Prasad Ghimire

Vice-chancellors appointed to 6 Health Science Institutes

• BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences – Vice-Chancellor Dr. Smriti Karki
• Patan Institute of Health Sciences – Vice-Chancellor Navisaman Singh Pradhan
• Karnali Institute of Health Sciences – Vice-Chancellor Dr. Suryaman Menyagba
• Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences – Vice-Chancellor Dr. Narayansingh Gurung
• Rapti Institute of Health Sciences – Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ajaykumar Mishra

Vice-chancellors appointed to eight universities

• Tribhuvan University – Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa
• Far-Western University – Kisan Dutt Bhatta
• Mid-Western University – Rajan Suwal
• Agriculture and Forestry University – Rishiraj Kattel
• Purbanchal University – Sujanbabu Marhatuta
• Pokhara University – Devendra Adhikari
• Rajर्षि Janak University – Shyamnarayan Labh
• Nepal Sanskrit University – Prof. Dr. Bhim Prasad Khatiwada

Bodies for which appointment process has started

• Nepal Tourism Board
• National Cooperative Regulatory Authority
• Investment Board
• Insurance Authority
• Nepal Engineering Council

Bodies where other appointment processes have not progressed

• Rastriya Samachar Samiti
• Employee Provident Fund
• Nepali Language Publication Institute
• Film Censor Board
• Guthi Sansthan and its committees
• Nepal Administrative Staff College
• Nepal Electricity Authority
• Lumbini Development Trust
• Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training
• Ayurveda Medical Council
• Kathmandu Valley Development Authority
• National Seed Board
• Nepal Water Supply Corporation
• Nepal Institute of Health Sciences
• Citizen Investment Trust
• Nepal Academy of Science and Technology
• Nepal Agricultural Research Council
• National Dairy Development Board
• Kathmandu University
• National Tea and Coffee Development Board
• Breastfeeding Promotion and Support Committee
• Local Development Training Institute
• Social Welfare Council
• University Grants Commission
• Nepal Scout
• Journalist Minimum Wage Determination Committee
• Nepal Nursing Council
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal
• Nepal Health Professionals Council
• Executive Director of Urban Development Fund
• Industrial Business Development Institute
• International Financial Transaction Promotion Committee
• Building Construction and Management Strengthening Committee
• Nepal Veterinary Council
• Greater Janakpur Area Development Council
• Shaheed Gangalal National Heart Center
• Nepal Pharmacy Council
• National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities
• Road Board
• Competition Promotion and Market Protection Board
• Information Technology Tribunal and its Appellate Tribunal
• Lumbini Buddhist University
• National Medical Education Academy
• Public Procurement Review Committee
• Information Commission
• Foreign Employment Promotion Board
• Seed Quarantine Committee
• Nepal Trust Board of Directors
• Nepal Lalit Kala Pratisthan
• Nepal Sangeet Natak Kala Pratisthan
• Nepal Pragya Pratisthan
• Commission for Investigation of Enforced Disappearances
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• National Youth Council
• Nepal Open University
• Deposit and Credit Security Fund Management Committee
• Special Economic Zone Authority
• Central Labor Advisory Council
• Social Security Fund
• Disaster Management Authority
• Health Insurance Board
• National Disability Steering Committee
• National Public Health Committee
• Nepal Medical Council
• National Medical Education Commission
• Pesticide Management Committee
• National Council for Environmental Protection and Climate Change Management
• Industrial and Investment Promotion Board
• Federal Land Use Council
• Advertisement Board
• Nuclear Research Center
• National Sports Council
• Bidushi Yogmaya Himalayan Ayurveda University
• Nepal Accreditation Center
• Animal Health and Livestock Services Professional Council
• Madan Bhandari University
• Food Hygiene and Quality Recommendation Committee
• Shaheed Dasharath Chand Institute of Health Sciences