SC judgment will have long-term impact on multi-party system: Oli

Protesters from various student wings celebrate after Nepal’s Supreme Court ousted the sitting prime minister and reinstated the dissolved parliament, in Kathmandu, on Tuesday. Pic/AFP

A defiant Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday accused the Supreme Court of "deliberately" passing a verdict in favour of the Opposition parties and said the judgment will have a "long-term impact" on the multi-party parliamentary system in the country.

Addressing the nation, 69-year old Oli also underlined that despite being "the people's choice", he is resigning from the post as the apex court has given an order to appoint Nepali Congress chief and Opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as the prime minister in his place. "It is the duty of players to play the game. The referee is there to maintain fair play, not to help any one team to win," Oli said speaking in Nepali language. He accused the apex court of "deliberately" passing the verdict in favour of the Opposition parties.

A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana on Monday reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives for a second time in five months and also ordered the appointment of Deuba as prime minister by 5 pm on Tuesday.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the 275-member lower house for the second time in five months on May 22 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19. "The terms and language used in the verdict has alarmed all those who believe in a multi-party system. The order has violated the system of check and balance (of power between state organs). This is just a temporary joy. It'll have a long-term impact," Oli was quoted as saying by My Republica newspaper. Stating that his party will implement the apex court verdict, Oli insisted that it is sure to destroy the party system and multi-party democracy.

May 22
Day the president dissolved the lower house for the second time in five months

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