Kathmandu: Bhishmaraj Angdembe, parliamentary party leader of the Nepali Congress, has accused the government of creating an institutional vacuum by dismissing office bearers from sensitive constitutional and transitional justice bodies.

Speaking during Wednesday’s zero hour session of the House of Representatives, Angdembe said officials appointed through political power sharing agreements had been removed, leaving several key institutions without leadership.

He said former office bearers of sensitive bodies, including commissions linked to transitional justice, were dismissed and stressed the need to immediately appoint capable, impartial and credible individuals.

Angdembe noted that victims of Nepal’s decade long armed conflict are still waiting for justice nearly two decades after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord.

He further argued that despite amendments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, several legal and structural weaknesses remain unresolved.

Calling for a fourth amendment to the law, Angdembe urged the government to address existing shortcomings before making fresh appointments to transitional justice mechanisms.