Cape Town - Parliament will go back to the drawing board to find a successor to public protector Selby Baqwa, after 10 short-listed candidates failed to make the grade after public interviews for the independent watchdog post.

The ad hoc committee on appointment of public protector has recommended that the most-senior deputy public protector available should fill the post in an acting position until the right person can be found.

This would effectively mean that Baqwa's assistant, Thinus Schutte - who was among the short-listed candidates - would take up the post in an acting capacity.

Committee chairman MJ Mahlangu said on Thursday that MPs felt they needed to choose from a bigger pool because the post was so important.

It was also worrying that no women had been nominated, he said.

The committee's report was published in parliament's announcements, tablings and committee reports on Thursday.

The committee has battled since it was established in June to attract enough nominations for the post.

Four withdrew their nominations

After receiving only seven nominations after its original advertisements in weekend newspapers, it readvertised the post and received only 10 more.

The national director of the legal resources centre, Professor Bongani Christopher Majola, withdrew his nomination at an early stage.

Three of the front-runners for the post, Land Claims Court judge Bakone Moloto, the controversial former Northern Province MEC for safety and security Seth Nthai and Western Cape department of justice head Hisamodien Mohamed, withdrew their nominations after they were short-listed.

The committee said in its report it was generally impressed with the high calibre of candidates interviewed.

However, it was felt that due to the limited number of nominations received, that at least three of the short-listed candidates had withdrawn and because of the post's significance, it was unable to recommend a suitable candidate.

It recommended the post be re-advertised in a range of professional publications "to elicit a greater response from suitably qualified persons, including women".

The National Assembly recommends a candidate to President Thabo Mbeki, who makes the appointment for a non-renewable seven-year term.

Baqwa has ruled on many controversial complaints against senior members of government, including then-health minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the Sarafina II debacle and then-minerals and energy minister Penuell Maduna for accusing the auditor-general at the time, Henri Kluever, of covering up a theft.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and www.news24.co.za