Nepal: Supreme Court quashes appointment of 20 cabinet ministers by PM KP Sharma Oli

Amid the political crisis in Nepal, the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of 20 Cabinet ministers by Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The apex court termed the appointment after the dissolution of the House of Representatives as unconstitutional. The Judges invalidated two recent cabinet expansions in the House of Representatives. 

Supreme Court quashes appointment of Cabinet ministers

A division bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Prakash Kumar Dhungana ruled that Cabinet expansions after the dissolution of the House were unconstitutional. The two Deputy Prime Ministers, who have lost the posts include Rajendra Mahato and Raghubir Mahaseth, according to PTI. After the Court ruling, there are only five ministers left in the cabinet that includes Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The Supreme Court has cited Article 77 (3) in its ruling to quash the appointments.

The article states that if the Office of the Prime Minister falls vacant after the prime minister fails to win a vote of confidence or resigns, the same Council of Ministers shall continue to act until another Council of Ministers is constituted, PTI cited a report by Kathmandu Post. Oli is heading a minority government after losing a trust vote in the House of Representatives. He expanded his cabinet on June 10 and June 4. The decision of the Court comes amid the ongoing case regarding the reinstatement of the House of Representatives, which was dissolved by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the recommendation of Nepal PM Oli. 

Dissolution of House of Representatives

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the House of Representatives and announced that mid-term polls will be held on November 12 and 19. Nearly 30 writ petitions including the one by the Opposition alliance have been filed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives in the apex court. The Supreme Court of Nepal had issued a show-cause notice to the Office of the Prime Minister and the President’s Office to produce a written response within 15 days. While defending government's decision of dissolution of Parliament, KP Oli had told the Supreme Court that it not the judiciary’s call to appoint a premier. Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari had told the Supreme Court that the House of Representatives has been dissolved under constitutional provisions. 

IMAGE: ANI

Inputs from PTI