Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: In yet another twist to the ongoing political drama, Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives (Lower House of Parliament) on the midnight of Friday and ordered fresh mid-term elections in the next six months—on November 12 and 18–which the Opposition parties have denounced as ‘unconstitutional’ and decided to challenge in courts.
She took this decision on the recommendation of the Cabinet headed by caretaker Prime Minister KP Oli, media reported.
China tried to save its ‘protégé’ Oli’s government until the very last but failed to cobble up enough numbers, according to sources.
Bhandari dissolved the parliament after Oli’s claim to form the government had to be dropped on legal advice she took.
A press statement issued by her office said the parliament was dissolved and dates of midterm polls were announced in line with Article 76 (7) of the Constitution of Nepal.
The Council of Ministers recommended conducting the first phase of the poll on November 12 and the second on November 19.
Bhandari had recently appointed Oli as the PM after the opposition parties, led by Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuja, were unable to stitch together the numbers to form a coalition government.
Oli had submitted his list of 153 supporters—claiming four more than in Deuja’s list—in which he had included several names of rivals as well.
The opposition parties, including Nepali Congress, Maoist Party, a section of the Samajbadi Janata party, and dissidents from the Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal — Unified Marxist/Leninist– had warned that they would launch widespread protests if the President violated the constitution and retained Oli who did not have enough numbers.
Oli, who had taken over as Prime Minister 39 months ago for a five-year term with a two-thirds majority in the parliament, was reduced to a minority following squabbles in his own party, and coalition partner Maoist party leaving the alliance.
President Bhandari was also facing an impeachment threat from the opposition. However, the dissolution of the House saves her from that.
The Opposition has reacted strongly to the President’s latest move. Nepali Congress on Saturday decided to take political and legal actions against the dissolution of the House of Representatives and accused President and Prime Minister Oli of misusing the Constitution for their benefit.
Last year on December 20, President Bhandari had dissolved Parliament but later it was reinstated by the Supreme Court in February.
