KATMANDU, 26 December 2020, (TON):  Nepal’s Supreme Court on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led government, asking to submit a written clarification over its decision to abruptly dissolve Parliament.

Earlier, a preliminary hearing of five-member Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana on the writ petitions filed against the government’s decision to dissolve the 275-member House of Representatives was held which recommended notice to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led government, Council of Minister and the President to find out the circumstance leading to dissolution of the Parliament.

The court has also asked the government to submit within 10 days an original copy of the recommendations made by the government to dissolve the House and the decision made by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to authenticate the government’s recommendations.

Meanwhile, a protest rally was organized in front of Prime Minister’s Office Saturday by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’-led faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) against the decision.

Around 350 protesters, comprising of Central Committee members of the Nepal Communist Party and members of the House participated in the rally in front of Prime Minister’s office from where they moved to Election Commission (EC) office. The participants of the rally chanted slogans, “Reinstate the House of Representatives,” “Dissolution of the House is Unconstitutional.”   

Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal, senior leaders Jhala Nath Khanal, spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha along with the party’s Central Committee members and members of the dissolved House gathered near the Prime Minister’s Office for the protest.

 The spokesperson of the Election Commission said decision is yet to be made which faction of the NCP is legitimate to carry the party name and election symbol.

In a statement, Sunil Manahdhar, who is also a Central Committee member of the NCP said, “We have the support of the majority of the Central committee members. Therefore, we are going to the commission to prove and show that we are the legitimate faction.” He claimed that his party will launch the agitation against the Oli government in collaboration with other Opposition parties, including the Nepali Congress and Janata Samajwadi Party for the reinstatement of the House of Representatives.