KATHMANDU, Dec 16: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has finally agreed to withdraw the ordinance on the Constitutional Council. Even PM Oli participated in the meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party’s Standing Committee held at PM Official Residence at Baluwatar.
The government had brought the ordinance on Tuesday so that the meeting of the Constitutional Council could be held in the presence of three people including the Chairperson.
But a majority of members of the party’s Secretariat, including NCP other Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, opposed it, and demanded to withdraw the ordinance. Leaders were preparing to direct the government to withdraw the ordinance by holding a discussion in the Standing Committee on Wednesday. Previously, Prime Minister Oli refused to attend the meeting.
Immediately after the leaders of the Prachanda-Madhav Nepal faction reached the President’s Office to call the special session of the Parliament to discuss the ordinance, Prime Minister Oli was embarrassed. He telephoned Chairman Prachanda and urged him to withdraw the request letter put forwarded to the President.
In response, Prachanda took the stand that the ordinance should be withdrawn first. Both Chairmen met at Baluwatar to form a consensus regarding the ordinance. Standing Committee members Subash Nemwang, Shankar Pokhrel and Ghanshyam Bhusal initiated the talks.
During the discussion, Prime Minister Oli agreed to withdraw the ordinance.
Talking to reporters after the standing committee meeting earlier today, NCP spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that the Standing Committee also decided to appoint office-bearers to the Constitutional Council only on the basis of a consensus.
Earlier, Nepali Congress, political leaders and civil society members have also strongly objected about the new ordinance citing the ordinance was against the spirit of the Constitution and system of governance.
Read: PRIME MINISTER OLI REACHED SHITAL NIWAS AFTER CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL MEETING
According to press assistant of Chairman Prachanda Mr Bishnu Sapkota Jugal, the Standing Committee decided to withdraw the ordinance relating to Constitutional Council, withdraw a request letter demanding special session of the parliament, the appointment of Constitutional head and members will be decided on consensus basis within party, political documents will be discussed at Standing Committee and Central Committee, among others.
Jugal informed that there is no such agreement to withdraw political documents presented by Chairman Prachanda. He said, “It’s only a rumour, there is no way to take back political documents.”
The Standing Committee meeting will be held on December 20, and Central Committee meeting will be on December 25, 2020.
