A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the government's preparations to appoint Dr Gunakar Bhatta as the next governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
Advocates Pratibha Upreti and Bishal Thapa on Friday lodged the writ at the apex court, arguing that proposed Bhatta does not qualify for the post of the governor.
The writ has been scheduled for hearing on Sunday.
The Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Finance Ministry, the governor recommendation committee, Nepal Rastra Bank, and Dr Bhatta have been mentioned as defendants in the writ.
The recommendation committee, which is mentioned as the defendant in the writ, cannot recommend Dr Bhatta against the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2002, simply based on the consensus of the heavyweights, reads the writ petition.
Similarly, the writ further said that if the unqualified candidates are recommended against the act, qualified and efficient candidates will be deprived of opportunities, argues the writ.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had reached an agreement to appoint Dr Bhatta as the next governor of the national bank of Nepal. Bhatta on Friday tendered his resignation in line with the agreement.
The appointment of Dr Bhatta as the next governor has been in limbo after the writ was filed against him.
"The Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2002 does not envisage the appointment of an individual to the post of governor directly from the post of Executive Director," reads the writ.
Further, Section 15 of the Act specifies the criteria for appointment of the governor, requiring the recommendation of three individuals with expertise in economic, monetary, banking, financial, and commercial law—including a deputy governor—to the Council of Ministers. The writ argues that Bhatta’s appointment does not meet these criteria.
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