By Our Reporter
The government, through a cabinet decision, has assigned Durga Bhandari Poudel as the acting chairman of the Press Council Nepal, the next day of her nomination to the post of the Council member.
Council’s acting chairman Kishor Shrestha has been removed from the post earlier to his retirement from the post of the Council member after 40 days.
The Press Council is an autonomous body monitoring media in the country.
According to the Press Council Law, the senior-most member of the Council should become the acting chairman in case the post of the chairman is vacant. Shrestha was assigned as the acting chairman of the Council under the Article 8-3 of the Press Council Law- 2048 BS.
As Council chairman Bhawani Baral is facing a court case at the Constitutional Court, Shrestha was assigned the acting chairman of the Press Council by the Council board based on his seniority.
Shrestha was retiring after 40 days and Gopal Budhathoki, the senior-most member of the Press Council was supposed to succeed Shrestha.
However, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli picked up Durga Bhandari Poudel, an advocate by profession, who is from Oli’s electoral constituency in Jhapa.
Against the government intervention on an autonomous body, the Press Council board has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court.
Of late, PM Oli is performing an anarchist attitude towards those who are known to be none other than the party’s supporters.
Recently, journalist Tikaram Rai, who was assigned to improve the Gorkhapatra Corporation by ending corruption and malpractices was terminated in a humiliating manner.
Accordingly, Shrestha, known to be NCP’s supporter, has been demoted in a humiliating manner just 40 days earlier to his retirement taking
the revenge on an old issue related to the split in the UML 23 years ago.
Earlier too, to humiliate Shrestha, PM Oli had suspended Shrestha’s diplomatic passport. Again, Oli had tried to replace the Council by introducing the Media Council Law just to oust Shrestha. When this attempt was failed by the Federal Parliament, Oli has ousted Shrestha through an amendment in the Press Council Law from the cabinet.
Oddly, PM Oli has started to take revenge against those who are considered to be closed and supportive of the ruling Nepal Communist Party. Budhathoki, who was supposed to become the acting chairman after Shrestha’s retirement, is considered to be supportive of the Oli camp in the party.
People’s Review Print Edition
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