The Supreme Court (SC) has given continuity to the interim order it had issued instructing the Election Commission to not immediately implement its decision to revoke candidacy of Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Dr Toshima Karki from Lalitpur-3.
The bench of Justice Kumar Chudal hearing the writ petition of Dr Karki on November 1 had issued an interim order instructing the Election Commission to not immediately implement its decision to revoke her candidacy.
The Election Commission on November 4 had then applied with the SC for revocation of that interim order.
A joint bench of Justices Ishwore Prasad Khatiwada and Til Prasad Shrestha hearing that application on Monday has ordered to continue that interim order and maintain her candidacy, according to Information Officer at the SC Devendra Dhakal.
The Election Commission, issuing a statement on October 29, had revoked Dr Karki’s candidacy stating that she had filed candidacy without resigning as an individual remunerated from the state coffers.
Karki had then moved the SC against the decision.
Karki is an elected member of the Nepal Medical Council (NMC). She was found to have received allowances for attending NMC meetings and making inspection visits, according to a source at the Commission.
But Karki has been saying there is no fixed salary in NMC, allowance is provided only when attending a meeting, and NMC member is not an office of benefit as she is an elected member of NMC.
She has also stated that she had written to the Commission on September 13 to inquire whether NMC member was an office of benefit. But the Commission did not respond to her letter.
