SC to hear former Maoist Center leaders’ writ petition today

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court is hearing on the writ petition of former Maoist Center leaders seeking reinstatement in the parliament today.

Four former CPN-Maoist Center leaders expelled by the party for joining KP Oli-led CPN-UML reached had moved the Apex Court seeking an order for reinstatement on Wednesday afternoon.

Leaders Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Lekhraj Bhatt, Prabhu Sah and Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, who joined CPN-UML deserting the party they were elected from were dismissed from their lawmakers’ posts on April 8.

The defecating leaders have argued that the Parliament Secretariat’s decision to dismiss them from their post of lawmakers contradicts with the Constitution, prevalent legal provisions and the party constitution as well.

“The parliamentary secretariat’s decision to remove us from the post of member of parliament based on the letter sent by CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is against the Constitution, prevalent legal provisions and the party constitution of Maoist Center itself,” the leaders said in the petition.

They stated that they have not left the party and the details of the Election Commission offered to them on July 7 also included them as the Maoist Center lawmakers; hence, they deserve to join the parliament.

They have further argued that as per Article 32 of the Political Parties Act the resignation from the party should be verified and there has been no evidence that they had resigned from the party, so the SC should issue an injunction ordering the parliament secretariat to let them join the parliament.

According to the leaders, Maoist-Center’s constitution also has not given the mandate to the Chairman to unilaterally expel someone from the parliamentary party.