Prime Minister's Office Directs Constitutional Body on Arrests, Sparking Debate on Separation of Powers

Kathmandu. The 'arrest order' given by the executive body (Prime Minister's Office) to the independent constitutional body, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), during the investigation into alleged irregularities in the printing of electronic passports, has raised serious questions about the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law.

The government's alleged interference in the jurisdiction of the constitutional commission, after the Director-General of the Department of Passports and other employees were taken into custody under the 'command' of the Prime Minister's Office, has sparked widespread criticism and legal debate.