Former Nepal PMs protest against Oli's move to dissolve Parliament

The ongoing political turmoil in Nepal took a new twist on Sunday after three former Prime Ministers participated in a sit-in-protest to oppose the recent dissolution of the Parliament. Former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Jhalanath Khanal took to the streets of Kathmandu to call on the caretaker PM KP Sharma Oli to reinstate the parliament. This comes after Oli on December 20 dissolved the parliament and announced fresh elections in April and May. 

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The three former prime ministers, who are members of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), were joined in by some members of both the upper and lower house of the parliament. The trio has said they will not budge until Oli reinstates the House of Representatives. The stalwarts of Nepali politics have also warned against mass rallies in the coming days if their demands are not met by Oli. The recent demonstration was part of the series of protests that have been taking place in Nepal since the dissolution of the parliament. 

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The move came as surprise to many after President Bidya Devi Bhandari approved Oli's recommendation to dissolve the parliament last month. Oli's decision to dissolve the parliament was prompted by disagreements within the NCP, which he feared would be used against him during the winter session. Oli feared that members of his own party would try and table a no-confidence motion so he dissolved the parliament to escape the vote.

What led to the current turmoil?

Prior to the dissolution of the parliament, the ruling NCP had been struggling to keep the flock together with several factions formed within the party. NCP came into being after Oli and Dahal merged their respective parties into one entity following the 2017 national elections. Though Oli emerged as the most popular leader, his party was short of the majority required to form a government. Oli and Dahal, whose party was third in the elections, agreed to form an alliance based on a power-sharing agreement. 

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Under the agreement, both leaders agreed to share power for an equal period of time. However, after two years, Oli refused to give up the Prime Minister's position and instead tried to lure Dahal by granting him executive powers within the party, making him executive chairman of the ruling NCP. But people familiar with Nepal politics say that Oli never gave up his command over the party and continued to interfere in the internal affairs of NCP, which resulted in the formation of several factions.  

What's next for Oli?

Since the dissolution of the parliament, Oli has been removed from the party and is facing numerous petitions in Nepal's Supreme Court. It is now up to the apex court of Nepal to decide whether the move made by Oli was constitutional. The court will make a decision on the basis of certain factors, including if there was a chance of forming a new government without dissolving the parliament. If the court approves Oli's move, the caretaker Prime Minister will remain until the next elections, and if it rules reinstates the parliament, he will likely be removed by a no-confidence vote.  

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(With inputs from ANI)