KATHMANDU: In what can be billed as yet another landmark verdict, the Supreme Court (SC) reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday.
A five-member Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana annulled the government’s decision to dissolve the HoR.
Likewise, the SC in its verdict has ordered to appoint Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba as the Prime Minister within 28 hours in line with Article 76 (5) of the Constitution.
President Bidya Dev Bhandari had dissolved the HoR for the second time upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on May 22.
Bhandari had also announced holding general elections in two phases on November 12 and 19 this year.
Following the dissolution of the HoR, NC President Deuba filed a writ petition with the signatures of 146 lawmakers at the Supreme Court.
Thirty-six legal practitioners had deliberated on the writ almost for 12 hours on behalf of the plaintiffs at the Constitutional Bench comprising Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, Justices Deepak Kumar Karki, Meera Khadka, Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai.
After delivering arguments on the writ petitions for 15 hours by the government side, the advocates on behalf of the writ petition presented counter-arguments on the writ again. Amicus Curiae had presented its views on the writ petitions.
Earlier, President Bidya Bhandari had dissolved the HoR on December 20 last year on the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli.
The apex court had annulled the government’s decision to dissolve the HoR on February 23 for the first time.
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