Nepal's Speaker and National Assembly Chair call for upholding constitutionalism

Kathmandu: The Speaker of Nepal's House of Representatives Devaraj Ghimire and Chairman of the National Assembly Narayan Dahal on Friday called for resolving the ongoing political deadlock within the framework of the Constitution, according to media reports.

A joint statement by Ghimire and Dahal comes on a day when a crucial meeting is being held at the President's Office at Sheetal Niwas to decide who will head the interim government following the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday after a violent student-led protest.

“President Ramchandra Paudel is taking initiatives to address the situation while respecting the people’s sovereignty, civil liberties, territorial integrity, national unity, and independence,” the joint statement said.

The Kathmandu Post newspaper said the statement stressed that “the rule of law and constitutionalism must not be bypassed.” The statement, issued after a meeting between Ghimire and Dahal, also urged all parties to address the demands of protesters and commit to a stronger, more prosperous democracy.

“We are confident that we must not stray from the rule of law and constitutionalism,” they said, stressing that the ongoing process to form a citizen-led government should address the protesters’ demands while ensuring that democracy grows stronger and more resilient,” MyRepublica news portal said quoting the statement.

The meeting at Sheetal Niwas is the second day of political parleys after the talks between Gen Z representatives, President Ramchandra Paudel and the Nepal Army chief hit a roadblock on Thursday.

Apart from discussing who will lead the interim government, a key issue whether to dissolve the Parliament or not, is also to be decided during the meeting, sources added as there were differences of opinion between the President and the Gen Z representatives on the issue during the earlier meeting.

President Paudel has taken a stance not to dissolve the Parliament, as it may lead to further constitutional crisis, the sources said, adding that all the sides, however, agreed to give continuity to the Nepal Constitution promulgated in 2015.

The president has been holding consultations with various political leaders as well as constitutional experts to find a way out of the current political impasse, according to sources close to the president.

Oli quit on Tuesday following a violent youth-led agitation, following which the Nepal Army imposed restrictions due to serious law and order situation across provinces.