KATHMANDU:
Nepal’s Supreme Court has issued two contempt of court notices to caretaker Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, demanding he explain why he mocked lawyers difficult his choice to dissolve parliament and get in touch with early polls.
The contempt of court suits are the most up-to-date challenges for the beleaguered leader immediately after becoming expelled from his party earlier this week.
The Supreme Court has ordered Oli to “present his written replies within seven days,” Devendra Dhakal, a Supreme Court official told Reuters.
The Supreme Court judges are dealing with more than a dozen petitions against Oli’s surprise move in December final year to dissolve the parliament and get in touch with fresh elections a year ahead of schedule, a move that has triggered nation wide protests amid the coronavirus pandemic and plunged the young Himalayan republic into a political crisis.
Despite protests, Oli at a public function final week, questioned the involvement of a 94-year-old lawyer Krishna Prasad Bhandari in petitions filed against his political choice.
Bhandari had earlier stated just before the court that the leader (Oli) had no prerogative to dissolve the parliament and had acted unconstitutionally.
This week two lawyers filed contempt situations against Oli for creating statements which they deemed have been “a direct insult” to the legal fraternity.
Oli’s lawyer Ramesh Badal stated the leader was however to get a communication from the court.
“Once the formal letter comes he (Oli) will reply accordingly,” Badal told Reuters.
Oli has justified the dissolution saying the ruling Nepal Communist Party had not cooperated with the government in policy choices, though his opponents say he had ignored the party choice and abruptly dissolved the parliament rather of sorting out variations with party colleagues.
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