CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has met President Bidya Devi Bhandari immediately after the Constitutional Council meeting Tuesday evening.
He has reached the Shital House to meet President Bhandari just hours after she hastily authenticated the controversial ordinance about the Constitutional Council.
The Constitutional Council meeting called by PM Oli earlier on Tuesday was adjourned in lack of quorum due to absence of Speaker Agni Sapkota. PM Oli, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CJ Cholendra Shumsher Rana and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Timalsina were present in the meeting. But absence of Speaker Sapkota meant there was lack of quorum as the post of deputy speaker remains vacant leading to automatic adjournment of meeting.
Oli then unilaterally issued the ordinance with a provision that allows decision with support of the majority of the existing members. The existing Constitutional Council Act required presence of four members apart from the PM to constitute quorum, and decision taken through consensus.
The ordinance has been widely condemned by the opposition parties and ruling CPN alike. The majority of CPN secretariat members held meeting at Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance. They also decided to take the issue to the standing committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
NC President Deuba and Speaker Sapkota did not attend the Constitutional Council meeting convened in the evening. The meeting of PM Oli, CJ Rana and National Assembly Chairman Timalsina in the evening discussed appointment in constitutional bodies but did not take any decision.
PM Oli has gone to meet President Bhandari after the meeting.
