Nepali protesters joined by three former prime ministers
22/01/2021 13:16
* December dissolution of parliament is challenged in court
* Former premier says protests will continue
* Prime minister argues government paralysed
By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Three former Nepali prime
ministers joined thousands of demonstrators on Friday to protest
against Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's abrupt move to dissolve
parliament and call snap elections.
Judges in the Supreme Court are hearing arguments on more
than a dozen petitions challenging Oli's plan to seek elections
about two years before his government's tenure ends.
Oli, 68, has said internal squabbling and a lack of
cooperation from members of his party had paralysed
decision-making, forcing his December 2020 move to seek an early
vote.
In recent weeks Oli has been attending rallies organised by
his supporters in support of his decision that mirror regular
demonstrations against it.
On Friday, the protesters demanded that he withdraw his
"unconstitutional" move that has plunged the young republic
already battling the pandemic into political turmoil.
"We will all continue our protests to pressure Oli to
realise his mistake and correct it," former prime minister
Madhav Kumar Nepal told the anti-government rally in the heart
of Kathmandu.
Former premiers Prachanda, who led a decade long Maoist
insurgency that ended in 2006 and still goes by his nom de
guerre, and Jhal Nath Khanal, were also at the rally. All three
former premiers are from Oli’s party but oppose the dissolution.
A senior police official said an estimated 25,000 people had
gathered to protest near Oli's office on Friday and more marches
were planned across the Himalayan nation, which lies between
India and China.
Legal experts said the hearing on Oli's decision was
expected to go on until February as more than 300 lawyers had
registered their names to participate in the proceedings.
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
((gopal.sharma@thomsonreuters.com; + 977 1 4372152; Reuters
Messaging: gopal.sharma.reuters.com@reuters.net))