Writ petition filed against Cabinet reshuffle by Nepal PM Oli

A writ petition was filed against Cabinet reshuffle by Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli, arguing that being a caretaker premier he did not have the executive power to reshuffle or induct new ministers.

Kathmandu: A writ petition was filed at Nepal's Supreme Court on Monday demanding nullification of the Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, arguing that being a caretaker premier he did not have the executive power to reshuffle or induct new ministers. The writ filed by senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi urged the apex court to rescind the caretaker prime minister's decision to induct new ministers as it goes against the spirit of the Constitution, The Himalayan Times reported.

The writ argued that Oli is a caretaker prime minister for now -- as the House of Representatives stands dissolved -- and as such he does not have the executive power to reshuffle or induct new ministers. The writ demands that the court issue an order to rescind the June 4 Cabinet expansion and reshuffling and stop the prime minister from taking any decision that would increase the economic burden on the national exchequer.

Beleaguered Prime Minister Oli, 69, joined hands with the key Madhesi Janata Samajwadi Party after effecting a major Cabinet reshuffle on June 4. Oli, who has been facing strong opposition from within his own party against his move to dissolve the House of Representatives, retained only four old Cabinet members Lilanath Shrestha, Basanta Kumar Nembang, Bishnu Paudel, and Krishna Gopal Shrestha in the Cabinet.

Read:New Constitutional Bench formed to hear petitions against House dissolution in Nepal

He removed some key ministers, including his Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel and Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali in the Cabinet rejig. He had inducted eight ministers and two state ministers from the Mahanta Thakur- Rajendra Mahato Faction of the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal.

The Mahantha Thakur-led faction of the JSP decided to join the Oli-led minority government after the prime minister agreed to meet some of their key demands, including the citizenship issue that has been on hold in the parliamentary State Affairs Committee for the last three years and withdrawal of cases filed against 120 leaders and cadres of the JSP. The Opposition and experts have flayed his move, saying it was against the constitutional norms when the Parliament has already been dissolved and election dates have been fixed for November 12 and 19.

Read:New Constitutional Bench to be formed on June 6 to hear HoR dissolution case in Nepal

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives on May 22 for the second time in five months and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19 on the advice of Prime Minister Oli, heading a minority government. President Bhandari rejected the separate bids of both Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance's claims to form a new government, saying the claims were insufficient.

PTI