In a bid to justify the dissolution of the House of Representatives (HoR) and seeking a fresh mandate, Nepal Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli has said events in the past three months after an earlier reinstatement of the House did not ensure political stability.

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Oli – also chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) - said he would have ideally liked the HoR to complete its full five-year term, but pointed out that seeking a fresh mandate was not a regressive move.

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari  early on May 22 dissolved the House of Representatives – the second time in five months - and announced mid-term elections on November 12 and 19, in line with a midnight recommendation by council of ministers presided over by caretaker prime minister Oli.

On May 21, both Oli and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had staked claim to form the government, but Bhandari sent a notice to the cabinet that she could appoint neither of them as the two lists of the number of MPs backing the rival claims had common names.

Oli said he had staked claim to form the government based on party-wise support of the CPN- UML and the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal, but some lawmakers of the UML and the JSP-N also supported Deuba's bid for prime ministership in violation of the party system, “a cause for concern in a multi-party system”.

“Seeking a fresh mandate is not a regressive move. But forging an unprincipled alliance to form a new government is a fraudulent act,” he said.

On December 20 last year, Oli had suddenly dissolved the House and called for snap polls for April 30 and May 10. However, the Supreme Court overturned his decision on February 23, calling it unconstitutional.

But a dramatic verdict by the Supreme Court on March 7, the day the meeting of the restored House was scheduled, revived the CPN-UML and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), invalidating the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), which the two parties had formed in May 2018. This added to the political confusion.

Faced with dissidence, Oli on May 20 recommended to the president to initiate the process for the formation of a new government, citing he lacked the numbers to go through another floor test.

However, he chose to stake his claim to form the government, as did Deuba.

(SAM)