President Ram Chandra Paudel, during a meeting with civil society leaders at Sheetal Niwas on Thursday, shared details of his discussions with Gen Z protestors.
He recounted that he rejected their demand to form an interim government after dissolving the House of Representatives.
"The protestors’ demand was that a prime minister should be appointed after dissolving the House of Representatives. I told them that I don’t have that authority, that I cannot do it. I said that I also had a role in bringing this Constitution, and that I won’t overstep it. I said that I was ready to become a martyr to protect the Constitution," senior advocate Tikaram Bhattarai told Setopati, quoting the president as saying during the meeting.
Civil society leaders, including former ambassador to China Mahesh Maskey and human rights activist Malla K Sundar, met President Paudel at Sheetal Niwas on Thursday.
President Paudel had not agreed to dissolve the House of Representatives before the formation of the interim government on September 12. He dissolved the House only upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Sushila Karki, despite the protestors’ demand for House dissolution and the formation of an interim government.
During the meeting, the civil society leaders urged the president to remain vigilant to prevent further damage to the Constitution. They advised him to ensure that political parties’ roles are not restricted and that no actions are taken out of vengeance.
"We said that the roles of political parties should not be restricted and that there should be no acts of vengeance. We offered our support for investigations into corruption and losses of life and property," advocate Bhattarai said. "With a multiparty system and the Constitution in place, it is difficult to hold elections without the cooperation of political parties. We urged the president to take the government and parties into confidence to conduct the election on time."
President Paudel acknowledged during the meeting that the Constitution had been slightly compromised due to the difficult circumstances.
Although the government should have been formed under Article 76 of the Constitution, the Karki-led interim government was formed under Article 61.
"The president said the focus will now be on the election, and that he will not take any action against the Constitution," Bhattarai said. "He said that the government should not go against it either."
Bhattarai noted that President Paudel praised the role of the security agencies.
"The security agencies were in a tough situation, but they performed well. I was in constant contact and dialogue with them,” Bhattarai quoted the president as saying. “I also communicated with political parties and the prime minister [KP Sharma Oli]."
The president told the meeting that he also spoke over the phone with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was injured in an attack by Gen Z protestors.
“Prachana [Pushpa Kamal Dahal] and Madhav Nepal came here. I also contacted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli,” Bhattrai quoted the president as saying. “The prime minister also cooperated in finding a constitutional resolution.”
The government led by KP Sharma Oli collapsed after the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9.
