The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded action against those involved in the crime of abducting opposition lawmaker in the aftermath of controversial ordinances.
"Those guilty of bringing a Socialist Party lawmaker to Kathmandu in style of abduction related to the episode of ordinances should not be absolved like 'pardoning after returning land of Baluwatar' even though the ordinances have been withdrawn," NC has said issuing a press statement on Friday.
The party has demanded serious investigation in the incident and action against whosoever involved in it.
The ordinances about political parties and the Constitutional Council have already been revoked by President Bidya Devi Bhandari following Cabinet decision to that regard earlier on Friday.
The government decided to withdraw the ordinances following intense pressure within ruling CPN and outside.
CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told Oli during the meeting of two chairmen Thursday morning that there is no alternative to withdrawing the ordinances. A meeting of six secretariat members including Dahal later in the had issued an ultimatum to withdraw the ordinances by Friday and warned standing committee meeting will be called to discuss the issue if the ordinances were not withdrawn.
The intra-party dispute in ruling CPN has intensified further after PM Oli brought ordinances making splitting of parties easier, and taking decision in the Constitutional Council through majority on Monday.
The blatant effort to engineer split of Socialist Party Nepal on the basis of the ordinance and Oli's personal involvement in the fiasco, Oli's opponents deemed, also smeared the party's image.
The Cabinet meeting at Baluwatar Monday had passed an ordinance allowing splitting of a party with support of 40 percent in either the parliamentary party or the central committee. The act about political parties requires support of 40 percent in both the parliamentary party and the central committee to split any political party.
The ordinance was brought as differences between the two chairmen of ruling CPN have been exacerbating in recent times. There have been rumors that preparations are on to replace PM Oli with senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, and handing over the party responsibilities to executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The differences between Chairman Oli and the faction of Dahal and Nepal intensified on the issue of speaker election and taking Bam Dev Gautam to the National Assembly.
The faction of Dahal and Nepal has clear majority in the secretariat, standing committee, central committee and parliamentary party. Oli will have support of over 40 percent only in the parliamentary party.
The ordinance has been brought to pave the way for Oli to split ruling CPN with support of 40 percent in the parliamentary party if Dahal and Nepal decide to remove him.
Oli also brought another ordinance about majority decision in the Constitutional Council on Monday. The other ordinance states that the Constitutional Council can take decisions on the basis of majority. The six-strong council currently only has five members in lack of election for deputy speaker. The amendment means that the council can take decisions with support of three and even in absence of the main opposition leader and Speaker Agni Sapkota who is in Dahal faction.
It is understood that Oli has brought this ordinance to appoint his men in the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to ensure that he can threaten to lodge corruption case against the opponents both within the party and outside.
