Nepal SC verdict on Parliament dissolution likely next week

As the Nepal Supreme Court winds up the hearing in the Parliament dissolution case, Prime Minister K P Oli is exploring all options to survive in the post in the event of a hostile verdict resulting in the revival of the House.

A five-judge constitutional bench of the court hearing the petition that seeks revival of Parliament dissolved by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Oli’s recommendation is likely to close the hearing this week, and deliver the verdict next week.

Oli on Wednesday dismissed the preparatory committee for hosting the general convention of the CPN-UML party, and transformed it into the ‘central committee’ following a SC ruling last month that the committee meant for another purpose cannot appropriate the right and responsibilities of the central committee.

The court had also stayed expulsion of some legislators from the House membership for “defection” on the grounds that the general convention preparatory committee had recommended the expulsion illegally.

The new committee declared Wednesday the earlier decision of expelling 11 senior dissident leaders stood “infructuous”.

At the meeting, the committee also decided that the party will bear the expense for medical treatment of former PM Jhalnath Khanal . However, a senior leader backing Oli said that the “unity meeting is more of tactical in nature”.

“We believe that Oli, with the revived central committee members, will issue fresh showcause notices to dissident leaders and expel them from the party which will automatically annul their House membership.

“He will also replace dissident parliamentarians elected under the proportional representation system with a fresh list as he enjoys that power in his capacity as the chairman of the party,” the leader said.

There are speculations that if Oli fails to achieve internal party unity before the verdict comes, he may again resort to creating hindrance for opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba by expelling dissident parliamentarians and bringing the effective strength of the House to suit his continuity.