PM Oli calls Constitutional Council meeting amid ongoing political crisis in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called a meeting of the Constitutional Council on Wednesday at 11 am.

The meeting comes after students protesting against the dissolution of Parliament clashed with police near the Federal Parliament of Nepal in Kathmandu on Monday. Demonstrators affiliated to All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU) of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had scuffled with police as they attempted to organise a flash mob in front of Parliament in Kathmandu.
Prior to this, three former Nepali Prime Ministers, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal on Sunday participated in a sit-in-protest at Maitighar of Kathmandu against the dissolution of Parliament.

Amongst the trios former Prime Ministers, Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal serve as Chairman of NCP which practically has split after now caretaker PM Oli dissolved the Parliament on December 20 last year.

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the Lower House on Oli’s recommendation on December 20. After dissolving the Parliament, the PM also proposed elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021.

“We will continue our protests and demonstrations till the time, the House of Representatives is reinstated. We will continue this fight till eternity- we will organise sit-in-protests, mass rallies, mass meetings, public meetings, this is an expression of public opinion, their votes and it would continue,” Jhalanath Khanal, former Nepali PM had told ANI.

Trio former Prime Ministers of Nepal sat on side of the road accompanied by supporters and members of different provincial and upper house assembly protested for an hour against the “unconstitutional” move by Oli.

Following the announcement of its third phase of agitation against the dissolution of parliament by the party on January 25, the party has been staging a series of protests and demonstrations across the country. The rival faction of the ruling NCP removed PM Oli from the party, amid increasing political unrest following his decision to dissolve the lower house of the Parliament.

According to the rival faction’s spokesperson Narayankaji Shrestha, PM Oli no longer remains a member of the party. (ANI)