KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has refused to give legitimacy to the 10th general convention organizing committee of the CPN-UML. At the same time, UML has to return to May 16, 2018, as demanded by the disgruntled faction led by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

A single bench of Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut has refused to give legitimacy to the UML’s 10th National General Convention Organizing Committee as a central committee in a writ filed against the dismissal of four floor-crossing leaders of Karnali Province. The SC also reinstated the parliamentarian status of the expelled lawmakers namely Prakash Jwala, Nanda Singh Budha, Amar Bahadur Thapa and Kurmaraj Shahi.

After SC reinstated the House of Representatives on February 23, 2021, UML Chair and Prime Minister KP Oli had formed the 10th general convention organizing committee on March 12. Again on March 20, the Central Committee meeting of PM Oli faction had endorsed the 10th general convention organizing committee. The same committee on April 23 decided to expel four leaders in Karnali Province.

Mentioning the provision in the Political Parties Act that only the Central Committee can expel leaders, the interim order said Central Committee’s valid decision was not recorded when the lawmakers had been expelled from Provincial Assembly and Parliamentary Party without seeking clarification and they had been expelled only by mere citation of the decision of the Central Committee. Therefore, the implementation of the decision of action has been stopped as it is against the spirit of Article 32 (2) (3) of the Principles and Political Parties Act 2017.