Plea Filed In Nepal Supreme Court Challenging KP Sharma Oli’s Appointment As Prime Minister

KP Sharma Oli, considered by many as a pro-China leader, took the oath as the Prime Minister of Nepal for a fourth term on Monday, along with 21 Cabinet ministers.

A plea challenging the appointment of KP Sharma Oli as the Prime Minister of Nepal was filed in the country’s Supreme Court. The writ petition, filed by three advocates, has challenged the appointment made by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel as being unconstitutional in nature.

Seeking the annulment of KP Sharma Oli as the prime minister, a writ petition was filed by three advocates — Deepak Adhikari, Khagendra Prasad Chapagain and Shailendra Kumar Gupta– in the Supreme Court of Nepal, officials said Monday.

In their plea, the advocates argued that the president should call for the formation of a new government under Article 76 (3) if a government formed as per Article 76 (2) fails the floor test in the House of Representatives.

The country’s apex court has set July 21 as the date for a preliminary hearing in the case.

Earlier in the day, KP Sharma Oli was sworn-in as the prime minister of Nepal for a fourth term, a day after President Paudel appointed the 72-year-old veteran leader to the country’s top post.

Oli, the Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), had submitted signatures from 165 members of the House of Representatives to the President on Friday after former PM Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ lost the vote of confidence in the House.

On Friday night, Oli staked his claim to become the next Prime Minister with the backing of NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba and submitted the signatures of 165 House of Representatives (HoR) members — 77 from his Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) party and 88 from the Nepali Congress. (NC).

CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Prachanda lost the vote of confidence in HoR during a floor test.

Oli, considered by many as a pro-China leader, took the oath of office and secrecy on Monday, along with 21 Cabinet ministers.

Last week, Deuba and Oli had inked a seven-point deal to form a new coalition government replacing Prachanda. The two leaders agreed that the remaining term of the Parliament would be shared between them turn by turn. In the first phase, Oli will become the Prime Minister for 18 months as per the agreement.

(With PTI inputs)