Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to oppose House dissolution.
President Ram Chandra Paudel on Friday dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of newly appointed Prime Minister (PM) Sushila Karki.
The grand old party's Central Working Committee meeting held on Friday concluded that House dissolution endangers democratic achievements.
"This move to dissolve House is against the spirit of our Constitution and the interpretation of the Supreme Court; it is not constitutional at all. This step has not just put democratic achievements at risk but has also raised concerns that the spirit and essence of the Gen Z movement will die," said NC's Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel while making the meeting's decisions public.
The meeting was chaired by Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, as President Sher Bahadur Deuba is receiving treatment after being injured in a beating by protestors.
The party chiefs of all seven provinces, chief ministers, and provincial parliamentary party leaders were also invited to the meeting.
NC had previously issued a statement on September 11, following the Gen Z protests on September 9 and 10, stating that the President should take the initiative to find a solution through dialogue and consult with all parties to resolve the situation.
"The initiative taken by the President must be brought to a conclusion in accordance with the demands and spirit of the Gen Z generation, and the person proposed by the Gen Z movement should be given the leadership of the interim government. In doing so, we suggested that a 'solution-oriented consensus' could also be advanced through a legal process in accordance with the Constitution," the statement reads. "It was our commitment that the Nepali Congress would support a constitutional and democratic path to find a solution and outline a path to end the current mismanagement."
The statement also pointed that NC had presented a responsible proposal for political resolution, which included the interim government led by the person proposed by Gen Z, being made constitutional through an amendment to the Constitution passed by House, and the new government declaring new elections. This was all based on the principle of necessity, with the President acting as the protector and enforcer of the constitution.
"This proposal we made would have been a win for everyone, a prime minister would have been appointed according to the demands of the protestors, and most importantly, a solution would have been found based on the Constitution. Even though a universally acceptable solution was possible, one that addressed the demands of the Gen Z movement and was also constitutional, it is regrettable that they did not use this mutually acceptable process and instead made an unconstitutional decision,"NC stated. "This act of dissolving Parliament is against the vision of our Constitution and the interpretation of the Supreme Court; it is not constitutional at all. This move has not only put democratic achievements at risk but has also raised concerns that the spirit and essence of the Gen Z movement will die."
NC maintains that the unpleasant and unexpected incidents on September 9 and 10 should be investigated, the perpetrators should be held accountable, and rebuilding efforts should begin. The party also believes that the Constitution drafted by the Constituent Assembly and the changes and achievements it codified must be protected. "Therefore, in this situation, we must be vigilant so that no one incites further unrest and no one makes a malicious attempt to reverse the democratic achievements the people have won through decades of struggle by exploiting a constitutional vacuum. This major responsibility is expected from NC," the party said.
The working committee also decided that to prevent the situation from deteriorating further and to keep the Constitution of a federal, democratic, and republican Nepal from going off track, NC will play a leading role in promoting peace, democracy, progress, and prosperity by consulting and engaging in dialogue with party members, other political parties, and civil society.
Additionally, NC has urged its members, well-wishers, and all Nepalis, both at home and abroad, to maintain restraint and unity in the changed circumstances.
