KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22

Three top leaders of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal today spoke against the prime minister’s move to dissolve the House of Representatives while addressing a rally organised by the party in the capital.

NCP Co-chairperson Nepal said Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s move was not only unconstitutional, but also a constitutional coup.

Nepal said since Oli bulldozed the constitution, promoted corruption, and ignored people’s aspiration, there was no possibility of reconciling differences with him.

He said his faction was the authentic party that cared for republicanism and federalism.

He urged all democratic parties to unitedly fight against the dissolution of the HoR.

“NCP won’t bow to Oli.

Some parties suspect that we might reconcile our differences with Oli again, but I must make it clear that there is no such possibility because we do politics of principles,” he said.

Nepal also expressed confidence that the House would be restored.

The new constitution does not give the PM, particularly the PM whose party has clear majority in the House, the power to dissolve the House, Nepal argued. He said Oli was following in footsteps of Hitler.

Dahal, who also co-chairs the party, said the PM’s move to dissolve the HoR was a regressive step. He said Oli not only dissolved the HoR, but was also trying to sabotage the constitution and the peace process.

He said they wanted to make their party truly committed to Marxism, Leninism, and socialism, adding that his party wanted to build a Nepali model of socialism by collaborating with the private sector.

“Oli and those close to him were spreading the rumour that everything will go in their direction, but the huge participation in rallies taken out against the dissolution of the HoR points to the contrary,” said Dahal. He said he had confidence in the Election Commission and the Supreme Court which was hearing the HoR dissolution case.

Former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal said if Oli thought he represented the authentic party, he should come and see the participation of people in protests.

Demonstrations carried out by the Dahal and Nepal-led Nepal Communist Party (NCP) disrupted traffic in Kathmandu, where protesters had converged in large numbers from all three districts of Kathmandu valley.