At a time when protests against the decision to appoint Lokman Singh Karki as the head of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) have intensified, UCPN Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday threw his weight behind the controversial former royal regime figure saying that the appointment is being done as per the law.

07UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Speaking during a media gathering organised by the Revolutionary Journalists Association at Bankatti in Rupandehi, Dahal dismissed the protests against Karki’s nomination, describing them as “attempt to create storm in a teacup”.

“Some people are creating unnecessary controversy on this issue,” Dahal further said, claiming that the proposal to recommend Karki as CIAA chief first came from the UML and it was formally tabled by the Madhesi Front at the meeting of the high-level political committee (HLPC).

Lokman Singh Karki
He also said that the President has “moral obligation” to approve the decision of the Constitutional Council to appoint Karki.

Meanwhile, the Maoist chairman said that efforts were going on to hold talks with parties that are agitating against the election process. He, however, claimed that the elections won’t be affected even if the smaller parties boycott them. nepalnews.com