Kathmandu, July 23

Lawmakers from the opposition alliance, Madhes-based parties and some fringe parties today criticised Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for misinterpreting the constitution and not stepping down even after his government was reduced to minority.

Taking part in discussions on the second day on the no-trust motion against PM Oli, lawmakers accused the PM of showing stubbornness and exercising anti-democratic and anti-parliamentary behaviour by not stepping down even after the government had lost its majority.

Even CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal did not defend Oli’s interpretation of the constitution that there were constitutional hurdles in formation of a new government. Rather, he appealed to all the parties to prevent a constitutional crisis and attempts being made to foil political achievements.

Nepal urged political leaders not to use the position of PM like a musical chair by gambling. “Let’s rise above conspiracy and groupism and factionalism and politicisation in governance.” He said that the CPN-MC had brought the motion in haste although there was possibility of forging consensus.

Hinting that his government had fallen due to sabotage from within his own party in 2010,  former PM Nepal said, “My government fell not because of opposition parties. It fell or was made to fall on account of my own party. This tendency is unfortunate.”

NC leader Ramesh Lekhak questioned the PM, “Where are you trying to lead the country by pleading that the Parliament cannot give a new PM?” He said that rule 49 (14) of Parliament Regulations clearly mentions that the Parliament can elect the PM time and again during transition.

CPN-MC leader Haribol Gajurel said his party had to stand against the PM after he ignored the party’s concerns about completing the peace process, reconstruction of earthquake damaged structures and running the government as per the spirit of the coalition.

The discussions will resume at 11:00am tomorrow.

“After continuing discussions for three hours tomorrow during which specific time will be allotted to political parties, the House is scheduled to hold voting on the no-trust motion, said Speaker Onsari Gharti’s press adviser Babin Sharma.

During today’s discussions, CPN UML lawmakers Kirshna Bhakta Pokharel and Purushottam Paudel objected to NC lawmaker Amaresh Kumar Singh’s language after Singh dubbed the PM “mentally unwell”. UML lawmakers then demanded that the Speaker remove his words from the record. The Speaker then ordered the House secretariat staff to remove the words from record. Singh had said, “The PM’s mental condition is not well as he is using medicine. The parliament cannot become its prey.”

Hitler became a dictator not by military coup but by misinterpreting one Article [of the German constitution]. Misinterpretation of constitution gives birth to every Hitler.

Pradip Giri  - NC leader

We were compelled to break the coalition after the PM closed all the ways to travel together and kept on going by forgetting he is a coalition PM.

Haribol Gajurel - CPN-MC leader

We resorted to blockade, protest, relay hunger strike and all possible ways to make the PM hear our concerns. However, he always adopted a strategy of tiring and deceiving us. Now, we have stood on the side of relieving him of premiership with the faint hope that the new coalition will hear our concerns.

Sarvendra Nath Shukla - TMDP leader