Dallying by CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli to take back the ordinance about Constitutional Council has irked party leaders in the opposition camp.
Oli had made an about turn and pledged to withdraw the ordinance in the standing committee meeting on Wednesday after knowing that the faction of fellow CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Senior Leader Madhav Kumar Nepal prepared to demand special House session and register no confidence motion against him.
But Oli did not withdraw the ordinance through the Cabinet meeting Thursday evening and even called the Constitutional Council meeting for Thursday which he eventually called off on advice of Dahal.
Dahal during the meeting on Thursday had urged Oli to call off the meeting and immediately withdraw the ordinance but he did not even discuss the ordinance in the Cabinet meeting held after the meeting with Dahal.
"Oli has apparently said he will withdraw it after consultation with President Bidya Devi Bhandari," CPN standing committee member Yuba Raj Gyawali told Setopati. "He may feel that he can sidetrack the party by dallying. But doing so will harm him further. The issue will be raised in the standing committee meeting on Sunday if he dallies. It will be raised in the House and House committee, and even on the streets."
Oli on Tuesday had unilaterally issued the ordinance with a provision that allows decision in the Constitutional Council with support of the majority of the existing members without discussing the ordinance in the Cabinet meeting.
The existing Constitutional Council Act required presence of four members apart from the PM to constitute quorum, and decision can only be taken through consensus.
Oli had unilaterally brought the ordinance, and President Bidya Devi Bhandari hastily authenticated it, after Speaker Agni Sapkota did not attend the meeting called Tuesday morning apparently under instruction of CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The ordinance was widely condemned by the opposition parties and ruling CPN alike. The majority of CPN secretariat members held meeting at Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's residence Tuesday evening and demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance.
Oli finally pledged to withdraw the ordinance in the standing committee meeting on Wednesday.
