Nepal | KP Sharma Oli
In a surprise move Nepal's PM KP Oli dissolves parliament
Kathmandu/IBNS: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has recommended the dissolution of the country's parliament after he was pressured by his dissidents within the ruling Nepal Communist Party over a contentious ordinance, said media reports.
The decision was taken during an emergency Cabinet meeting convened by PM Oli on Sunday morning, the reports informed.
"PM 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," The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported today.
“Today’s Cabinet meeting decided to recommend the President to dissolve the Parliament,” said Barshaman Pun, energy minister in PM Oli’s cabinet announced in Kathmandu after the meeting, reported Hindustan Times.
Prime Minister KP Oli was under tremendous pressure from his rival faction in NCP led by former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal better known as Prachanda and Madhav Nepal, added the report.
The ordinance to amend the Constitutional Council Act was introduced on December 15, allowing the Constitutional Council, headed by the prime minister to convene a meeting if a majority of its members attend it, said an NDTV report. The council triggered controversy due the sweeping powers conferred on it.
Kathmandu Post reported that such a meeting was called by PM Oli on December 15 itself.
The Constitutional Council has the chief justice, speaker, chairperson of the National Assembly, leader of the opposition, and the deputy speaker as its members, said the report.
It has been formed to make important appointments to constitutional positions.
Reports also said that KP Oli has lost the majority in the parliamentary party, central committee and the secretariat of the party.
On Wednesday last, the party's standing committee had passed a resolution asking PM Oli to withdraw the ordinance, the HT report cited above said. Though PM Oli agreed to go by the committee's decision, he changed his stance later.
The HT report said PM Oli reached out to Prachanda at his home proposed to withdraw the ordinance if the political document sharply critical of him was also withdrawn. However, Prachanda did not relent and Oli made the move soon after. He, however, sought the views of Home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, who is seen to be close to Prachanda, and asked for his support in dissolving the parliament.
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