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Updated March 16th, 2021 at 20:39 IST

Nepal: President calls for all-party meeting over political turmoil, three leaders boycott

The Himalayan nation Nepal trickled into unprecedented constitutional turmoil after Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli unilaterally dissolved the parliament.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Nepal
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Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari called for an all-party meeting on Tuesday to address the country's political fallout, an official statement released by the office of the President confirmed. However, My Republica newspaper reported that three former prime ministers Baburam Bhattarai, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal have boycotted the meet as they questioned President's role in the row of the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP). The Himalayan nation trickled into unprecedented constitutional turmoil after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's dissolution of the parliament, last year, which India called an 'internal matter'.

Oli took the drastic step unilaterally following a tussle with former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, and noncooperation within his ruling Nepal Communist Party, which has 2/3rd majority in parliament over Constitutional Council Act that he passed. Oli's ordinance was about a new map for Nepal that included many Indian territories, which attracted dissent from many Nepali political leaders, including Prachanda, who Oli accused of conspiring to dislodge his government. The infuriated Nepali leader also launched attacks on India for instigating efforts to overthrow him from the position of power.

His remarks were launched against India as the country played a key mediator in the peace process with the two times ex-Prime Minister Prachanda in tackling insurgency. As Oli dissolved the Lower House of Parliament without the threats of 'no-confidence vote or members questioning the constitutionality of his decision, the country plunged into a political upheaval with uncertainty surrounding its governance framework. Nepal's elections were due to be held in April-May 2021 that created a political emergency with the House of Representatives dissolved. 

"In order to discuss the prevailing political situation, the all-party meet has been summoned for 4 PM (Local Time) today. President has invited leaders of parties representing in parliament as well as some former Prime Ministers," Dr Bheshraj Adhikari, Secretary of President told ANI in a telephonic remark. 

A unanimous resolution

However, last month, Nepal's Supreme Court stepped in and reinstated the parliament, revoking the unification of Oli's ruling Nepal Communist Party and declaring a merger between erstwhile CPN-UML and CPN Maoist Centre. This threw Nepal's center in fresh chaos as Oli, who held majority government earlier, lost seats in the parliament. Weeks after the court's verdict, Oli's CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) that garnered 120 seats is still struggling to prove the majority. To find a unanimous resolution to the contemporary political stalemate in the country, Nepal's president invited the leaders of parties representing in parliament as well as some former Prime Ministers to "discuss the situation". 

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Published March 16th, 2021 at 20:39 IST

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