Nepal Supreme Court has concluded its hearing in the high-profile parliament dissolution case and a decision on the same is expected on 12 July, media reports said.  President Bidya Devi Bhandari in May had dissolved the lower house of parliament, which led the country’s opposition party to challenge the move in the top court. 

Over two dozen petitions, including one by the opposition alliance led by the Nepali Congress, were filed at the Supreme Court against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s May 21 move of dissolving the House.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari had earlier refused to recognize the rival claims by Oli and Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Nepali Congress president, for the post of prime minister, and subsequently dissolved the house. 

Around 146 lawmakers from the opposition coalition in their petition have demanded that the lower house be restored and Deuba be appointed prime minister because he had presented the signatures of 149 lawmakers before the president, laying claim to the prime ministerial post as per Article 76 (5).

Significantly, earlier in February, the country’s Supreme Court had struck down the last year’s decision of dissolving the house and reinstated it. The move severely weakened the political clout of Prime Minister Oli who has also been facing sustained rebellions by his own party leaders. 

(SAM)