KATHMANDU, MARCH 16

The main opposition CPN- UML has said that it would expose the mala fide intention of the ruling coalition behind moving the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana and avoiding to put the motion to vote.

UML Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai told mediapersons after UML Parliamentary Party meeting here today that the ruling coalition's ulterior motive behind the impeachment motion was clear as the Parliament was prorogued before sending the motion to the Impeachment Recommendation Committee or putting the motion to vote.

'The ruling coalition, which lacks two-thirds majority to pass the impeachment motion, wants to keep the impeachment motion in limbo,' Bhattarai said.

He added that the ruling coalition moved the impeachment motion to make the judiciary unstable and promote factionalism in the judiciary.

Bhattarai said UML Chair KP Sharma Oli told the Parliamentary Party that the party could win 65 to 70 per cents of seats in the local elections.

Oli also said but for some seats, the UML would contest local elections on its own without forging an alliance with any party. Bhattarai said his party was fully prepared to contest polls.

'We are a strong party and our strength was recognised by Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who recently said in Birgunj that the ruling coalition should continue its alliance to compete with the UML,' Bhattarai added.

Stating that the economy was in the worst shape, Oli directed party lawmakers to expose the government's poor handling of the economy.

Bhattarai added that the ruling coalition had failed to move any national pride projects ahead in the past seven-eight months.

Bhattarai said the CPN-UML would try to choose candidates for the posts in local governments on the basis of consensus in the concerned committees.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.