The Supreme Court has started its hearing on the writ petitions filed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives (HoR) by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. The writs are being heard by a constitutional bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana and Justices Deepak Kumar Karki, Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Meera Khadka and Anand Mohan Bhattarai. The same constitutional bench had sought a written reply from the President’s Office and the Offfice of the Prime Minister on June 9. The Supreme Court had sought the response within seven days. Both President Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had submitted their responses on June 17.
The court had also sought amicus curiae from the Supreme Court Bar Association and Nepal Bar Association.
The Supreme Court Bar Association has recommended senior advocates Komal Prasad Ghimire and Prakash Bahadur KC as amicus curiae. Similarly, Nepal Bar Association has recommended the names of Senior Advocates Raghav Lal Baidya and Usha Mallla Pathak.
President Bhandari, on the recommendation of the government, had dissolved the House of Representatives and announced the dates for mid-term elections on May 22. She had cited that the claims made by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also chairperson of CPN UML, and Nepali Congress President Deuba to form the government as per Article 76 (5) of the Constitution of Nepal did not hold sufficient ground to confirm that they would win the vote of confidence in the Parliament.
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