The Speaker of Nepal’s House of Representatives Devaraj Ghimire and Chairman of the National Assembly Narayan Dahal on Friday called for resolving the ongoing political deadlock within the framework of the Constitution, according to media reports.
A joint statement by Ghimire and Dahal comes on a day when a crucial meeting is being held at the President’s Office at Sheetal Niwas to decide who will head the interim government following the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday after a violent student-led protest.
“President Ramchandra Paudel is taking initiatives to address the situation while respecting the people’s sovereignty, civil liberties, territorial integrity, national unity, and independence,” the joint statement said.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper said the statement stressed that “the rule of law and constitutionalism must not be bypassed.”
The statement, issued after a meeting between Ghimire and Dahal, also urged all parties to address the demands of protesters and commit to a stronger, more prosperous democracy.
“We are confident that we must not stray from the rule of law and constitutionalism,” they said, stressing that the ongoing process to form a citizen-led government should address the protesters’ demands while ensuring that democracy grows stronger and more resilient,” MyRepublica news portal said quoting the statement.
The meeting at Sheetal Niwas is the second day of political parleys after the talks between Gen Z representatives, President Ramchandra Paudel and the Nepal Army chief hit a roadblock on Thursday.
Apart from discussing who will lead the interim government, a key issue whether to dissolve the Parliament or not, is also to be decided during the meeting, sources added as there were differences of opinion between the President and the Gen Z representatives on the issue during the earlier meeting.
President Paudel has taken a stance not to dissolve the Parliament, as it may lead to further constitutional crisis, the sources said, adding that all the sides, however, agreed to give continuity to the Nepal Constitution promulgated in 2015.
The president has been holding consultations with various political leaders as well as constitutional experts to find a way out of the current political impasse, according to sources close to the president.
Amid talks on the choice of the interim leader, Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has come up as one of the top contenders following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation amid nationwide protests.
Born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar, Karki holds degrees in political science and law and has been a prominent figure in advocacy and legal reform. She served as the country’s first female chief justice and oversaw landmark cases on transitional justice and electoral disputes, strengthening the judiciary’s role as a defender of democracy.
Death toll reaches 51
According to news agency Reuters, the death toll in Nepal’s protests has reached 51, including 21 protesters, 9 prisoners, 3 police personnel and 18 others.
Student-led anti-government protests alleging blatant corruption marred Nepal, on Monday, September 8, where demonstrators took to the streets shouting slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country), “Don’t kill students” and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders” in multiple parts of the capital.
Nepal’s Parliament building was set on fire and several private residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel and former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and Sher Bahadur Deuba, as well as energy minister Deepak Khadka, were targeted.
On September 9, amid escalating chaos and a clear breakdown of law and order, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his resignation.
Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, who were injured during an attack by protesters on their residence in Budhanilkantha, were recovering at a hospital.
Kathmandu airport resumes operation
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) announced that it will resume services from Wednesday evening, 24 hours after closing its operations.
The announcement comes hours after the TIA authorities had earlier said the airport would remain closed until further notice following the massive violent protests across Nepal, leaving hundreds of foreign nationals stranded.
The airport management has asked the passengers concerned to contact their respective airline companies for re-confirmation (of their flights).
The airport shutdown affected both domestic and international flights, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
(With inputs from PTI)
(The copy has been updated with the latest death toll and new headline)
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Veena Nair | 
