Nepal PM Oli Recommends Dissolution Of Parliament

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday recommended the dissolution of the Parliament at an emergency meeting of the Cabinet on Sunday morning.

The Prime Minister had summoned an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday morning after a series of meetings with party’s top leadership and ministers on Saturday.

“Amid rising intra-party rift, an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to recommend to the President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, to dissolve the parliament”, a chairing Minister confirmed ANI.

“In the cabinet meeting it was decided to recommend the President to dissolve the Parliament,” said Barshaman Pun, energy minister in PM Oli’s cabinet.

“The recommendation has been sent to the President,” Pun said.

Oli was under pressure to withdraw an ordinance related to the Constitutional Council Act that he had issued on Tuesday and got endorsed by President Bidya Devi Bhandari the same day.

Oli has been facing pressure from the rival factions of the NCP led by former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Nepal.

Prachanda reached PM residence to get first-hand knowledge on the issue. However, PM remained reserved and didn’t say anything except that “he will take a firm action today”.

Prime Minister Oli convened the cabinet meeting at 9:45 AM and made the decision in less than an hour.

The latest step of the Oli-led administration comes amid a rising rift inside the ruling party and the house adjourned for the longest period of time in Nepal’s history.

Since the Constitution does not have a provision for the House dissolution, the move is likely to be challenged in the court.

Subsequently, the cabinet has forwarded the proposal of dissolution of the Parliament to the President for consideration. Usually, the President is consulted in advance on these issues by the Prime Minister. Accordingly, the President should approve the dissolution of the parliament.

This will lead to strong opposition from the Prachanda and Madhav Nepal camp and they are likely to protest and even file a writ in the Supreme court challenging this position taken by Prime Minister Oli.

Reacting swiftly after the confirmation of the decision, Narayankaji Shrestha, Spokesperson of the ruling Nepal Communist Party reacted calling it undemocratic.

“I got to know about the recommendation just now. The decision has been made in haste as all the ministers weren’t present in the cabinet meeting this morning. This is against the democratic norms and would take the nation backward, this can’t be implemented,” Narayankaji Shrestha, Spokesperson for the ruling Nepal Communist Party told ANI. (ANI)