In what is seen as yet another big jolt to Nepal’s caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the country’s Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an interim order scrapping the appointments of 20 ministers to the council of ministers. The order came in response to the six petitions that had been filed, challenging the cabinet shuffling while Oli was heading a caretaker government. 

“The appointments of June 4 and 10 by the President on the recommendation of the Cabinet are against the intent and spirit of the constitution,” the Supreme Court said in its order. “An interim order has been issued not to allow the ministers to perform their duties until the case is finalized,” it added. 

This is the second time that the highest court set aside the appointment of ministers by Oli. Earlier, on May 20, the appointments of seven ministers were scrapped by the top court.

Oli had dissolved the lower house of parliament on 21 May--the second time in six months --and has been heading a caretaker government since then. However, on June 4, and then again on 10 June, the Oli government went on to appoint 20 new ministers. 

The new appointments were made after Oli reached a political deal with a faction of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP). The latter were given ten ministerial positions in the government.  Opposition parties in Nepal had condemned the move, accusing Oli of making “mockery of constitution and democratic norms". 

Moreover, in the last two weeks, the court reversed as many as three orders issued by the Oli government in Nepal, according to The Kathmandu Post. After the recent order by the Supreme Court the Oli government is left with only five ministers, including himself. 

Oli’s decision to dissolve the house on 21 May was also challenged in the top court. Currently, over two dozen petitions challenging the house dissolution are pending before the apex court. 

(SAM)