Nepal SC reinstates House, orders Prez to appoint Deuba as PM

TIL Desk/World/Kathmandu/ In a dramatic move, the Nepal Supreme Court on Monday overturned Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s decision to dissolve the House and issued an interim order to reinstate it, while also ordering President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint opposition Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba as the new premier.

A five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued the ruling, stating that President Bhandari’s decision to dissolve the House of Representatives upon a recommendation of Oli was “an unconstitutional act”. The court also ordered the President to appoint Deuba, who had presented his majority during the election process on May 24, as the new Prime Minister by Tuesday evening.

The bench further ordered the summoning of a fresh session of the House on July 18.  Prime Minister Oli had dissolved the house on May 21 and declared snap elections on November 12 and 19. This is the second time that the apex court has decided in favour of reinstating the House during Oli’s tenure. Earlier on December 20, 2020, Oli had dissolved the House and the Supreme Court reinstated it on February 25, 2021. Major political parties besides Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal-UML, have welcomed Monday’s decision.