Nepal PM, Prez issued show cause notice on writ demanding reinstatement of House of Representatives

Kathmandu, Dec 17 (PTI) Nepal's Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to the government in response to a writ demanding restoration of the House of Representatives and declaring as void the interim government led by Sushila Karki.

The President' Office, Prime Minister Karki and Council of Ministers among others are the defendants in the writ filed nine days ago by eight former House of Representatives (HoR) members of the Nepali Congress.

The petitioners have demanded formation of a new government led by Nepali Congress being the largest party in the dissolved House to replace the Karki-led interim government.

Karki took oath on September 12, three days after the then prime minister K P Sharma Oli was forced to resign following a massive Gen Z-led protest.

Soon after Karki took oath, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives and announced fresh elections on March 5, 2026.

On the day the HoR was dissolved, Nepali Congress had 88 members, the Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist–Leninist (CPN-UML) had 79, CPN-Maoist Centre 32 and Rashtriya Swotantra Party had 21 members.

The Nepali Congress, with 88 members, being the largest party in the 275 member HoR, can claim to form a government under Article 76 clause 3 of the Constitution.

The writ by Nepali Congress leaders, including Chief Whip of the dissolved HoR from Nepali Congress Shyam Ghimire, also claimed that the government formed under the leadership of Sushila Karki was “unconstitutional.” A constitutional bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Justice Sapana Malla among others heard the case on Wednesday.

Not just Nepali Congress, Oli's CPN-UML too has been demanding restoration of the HoR. PTI SBP NPK NPK