Nepal top court sends petitions against House dissolution to Constitutional Bench | World News - Hindustan Times
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Nepal top court sends petitions against House dissolution to Constitutional Bench

PTI |
May 27, 2021 03:17 PM IST

Hearing of all 19 petitions by a five-member bench led by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Cholendra Shumsher Rana, has been scheduled for Friday.

Nepal's Supreme Court on Thursday sent all the 19 petitions challenging the dissolution of the House of Representatives and rejection of Opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba's claim by the President for the post of prime minister to the Constitutional Bench.

Also Read | Opposition alliance to move court against dissolution of Nepal parliament

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Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Cholendra Shumsher Rana who had assigned the 19 writs to his bench ordered at the end of proceedings that the writs be sent to the Constitutional Bench, the Himalayan Times reported.

Hearing of the writs by the five-member bench led by the CJ has been scheduled for Friday.

These cases will now be heard along with eleven others, including the one filed by 146 lawmakers demanding appointment of Nepali Congress President Deuba as the prime minister.

Also Read | Political developments in Nepal its internal matters, says India

As many as 30 petitions, including the one by the Opposition alliance, were filed at the Supreme Court, challenging Friday’s House dissolution.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives on Saturday for the second time in five months and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19 on the advice of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, heading a minority government.

She rejected the bids of both embattled Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance's claims to form a government. Oli and Nepali Congress President Deuba had staked separate claims to the premiership, saying the “claims were insufficient.”

Nepal's Opposition alliance on Monday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court demanding restoration of the House of Representatives and appointment of Deuba as the Prime Minister. Others had also filed petitions against the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

The Constitution envisions a five-member Constitutional Bench which is led by Chief Justice Rana. The members of the bench are selected by Rana.

Earlier on December 20, the President had dissolved the Parliament and called snap polls on April 30 and May 10. However, two months later, the Rana-led Constitutional Bench on February 23 overturned the decision and reinstated the House.

Constitutional experts have criticised Oli and Bhandari for their complicity in trampling upon the Constitution. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

Oli's move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

In February, the apex court reinstated the dissolved House, in a setback to Oli who was preparing for snap polls.

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