Nepal PM Oli calls upon political parties to form all-party govt and hold elections

Embattled Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday urged all political parties to form an all-party government and hold fresh elections, as he tried to justify the controversial dissolution of the House of Representatives by the President, saying a "functionless" Parliament turned out to be the main source of instability in the country.

“Going for an election can never be a regressive act,” Oli said in a televised address to the nation, a week after the House was dissolved by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

The president 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 Oli, who is heading a minority government. Oli, 69, called upon the political parties to form an all-party government and hold elections, My Republica.com portal quoted him as saying.

Addressing the nation as the chief executive of the country, Oli took most of his time to criticise the moves taken by the Opposition parties and his fellow party leaders. He blamed the Opposition parties and dissident faction of the ruling CPN-UML for the dissolution of Parliament. Oli said Parliament could not ensure stability in the country even after it was restored on February 23 through judicial intervention.

“Though it was reinstated through the Supreme Court’s verdict, it turned out to be functionless and the main source of instability in the country,” said Oli, He claimed that he tried to prevent the lower house of Parliament from being dissolved.

“I made my last ditch effort to form an alternative government as per Article 76 (5) after being assured of support from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP). However, Opposition parties, who played a dirty game of politics, forced the president to dismiss their claim for a new government,” he was quoted as saying.

“Due to their erroneous claim, I was the victim and Parliament was dissolved as per the constitutional provisions," he said.

Hinting at the support extended to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba by more than two dozen lawmakers of UML and a dozen others belonging to the JSP, he warned of not accepting partyless character in the multiparty system adopted by Nepal.

President Bhandari dissolved the House and rejected the bids of both Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance's claims to form a government, 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.

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. 

IMAGE: PTI