The Dahal-Nepal faction of CPN has said it has been forced to call for general strike on Thursday by what it called unconstitutional swearing-in of officials recommended for constitutional bodies on Wednesday.
"There was the charade of swearing-in of officials of constitutional bodies at dawn. Unconstitutional swearing-in without hearing is the height of autocracy and high-handedness," leader of the faction Pampha Bhusal said addressing a press conference at the faction's office at Paris Danda on Wednesday. "There is need to protect the Constitution and democracy, and end fascist lawless regime. We demand revocation of swearing-in of officials of constitutional bodies. We call for nationwide general strike tomorrow."
She added that everything apart from hospitals, media, ambulances, delivery of essential items including water, milk and others, and examinations will be stopped. "We will now be forced to take any kind of step for revocation of regression. We expect help from everybody in that."
The faction has already announced agitation against what it calls unconstitutional and undemocratic House dissolution by Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli on December 20 but had not announced general strike until now.
Officials recommended for different constitutional bodies were sworn in earlier on Wednesday without parliamentary hearing. They were sworn in amidst a program held at the Shital Niwas Wednesday morning.
Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Shumsher Rana administered oath of office and secrecy to chiefs of the constitutional bodies while the others were sworn in by chiefs of the respective bodies.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timalsina were also present on the occasion
The Constitutional Council after PM Oli dissolved the House on December 20 had announced that all the vacancies in constitutional bodies were filled before the House dissolution.
The Constitutional Council meeting on December 15 had decided to fill the vacancies. The meeting held hours after PM Oli unilaterally brought the ordinance with a provision that allows decision in the Constitutional Council with support of the majority of the existing members had recommended to fill all the vacant constitutional positions.
The decision was not made public immediately and revealed only after the House dissolution.
Speaker Agni Sapkota then sent back the recommendations saying hearing cannot be conducted as the House of Representatives has been dissolved.
National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timalsina then argued that speaker cannot send back the recommendations by the Constitutional Council except when ordered by the court.
"There is no legal provision for any body or official other than the two-third majority of the parliamentary hearing committee to reject or send back the recommendations by the Constitutional Council for hearing," Chairman Timalsina has said issuing a statement on Monday.
Prem Kumar Rai was recommended for the post of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) chief. Former Nepal Police AIG Jaya Kumar Chand and Kishor Kumar Silwal were recommended as CIAA commissioners.
The then coalition government of Maoists and Nepali Congress (NC) under Pushpa Kamal Dahal had appointed Chand, who is close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, as IGP but the Apex Court had later revoked the appointment.
Senior advocate Ram Prasad Bhandari and Janaki Tuladhar, meanwhile, were recommended as Election Commission commissioners.
Similarly, Tap Bahadur Magar was recommended chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.
