Oli shocked in Nepal: Supreme Court reverses decision to dissolve parliament

Kathmandu, Ta. Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has suffered a major setback. Nepal's Supreme Court has overturned a decision to dissolve the House of Representatives on December 20. The Supreme Court of Nepal has decided to reinstate the House of Representatives. Ordered to convene a session of Parliament within 13 days.

A five-member constitutional bench headed by Cholendra Shamsher Rana delivered the verdict after a detailed analysis of the facts presented by all parties. During a debate in the Supreme Court last Friday, lawyers said Oli's decision to dissolve parliament was unconstitutional.

During the hearing, a senior lawyer said that Nepal's constitution does not give the country's prime minister the right to dissolve parliament. The court should intervene in this matter as it is not a political but a constitutional matter. Another judge called the prime minister's decision unconstitutional.

Another judge said Parliament had been dissolved with improper intent. However, another judge said the prime minister had the right to dissolve parliament. KP Sharma Oli went to President Vidya Devi Bhandari on December 20 with a recommendation to dissolve Nepal's parliament.

The President then allowed the dissolution of Parliament on the same day and dissolved Parliament. Political instability has been going on in Nepal since then. Then Pushpa Dahal alias Prachanda and KP Sharma Oli of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (NCP) came face to face.

Prachanda's group KP Sharma expelled Oli from the party. Acting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli convened a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday morning. Protests erupted across the country against Oli's decision to dissolve the 275-member parliament.