KATHMANDU, MAY 24
At least 23 former CPN-UML lawmakers of the dissolved House of Representatives have decided to stand with senior leader of the party Madhav Nepal and throw their weight behind NC's Sher Bahadur Deuba's claim to premiership.
Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Bhim Rawal, Ghanashyam Bhusal, Surendra Pandey, Ram Kumari Jhankri, among others, have signed the petition.
On Friday, Nepal, along with other opposition party had submitted signatures of 149 lawmakers to the President, endorsing Deuba's claim to form a majority government. 26 of the 149 signatories were from the UML, of which only 23 have stayed intact. A few of them had claimed that their signatures have been misused.
The opposition alliance comprising Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Janamorcha, Upendra Yadav faction of Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal and Madhav Nepal faction of ruling CPN UML have decided to move Supreme Court today, challenging the government's move to dissolve the House.
The 26 UML lawmakers that have submitted signatures are: Jhalanath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Bhim Rawal, Ghanashyam Bhusal, Surendra Pandey, Kalyani Khadka, Krishna Lal Maharjan, Jiwanram Shrestha, Jhapat Rawal, Deepak Prakash Bhatta, Narayan Khatiwada, Nira Devi Jairu, Ram Kumari Jhankri, Lakshmi Kumari Chaudhari, Birodh Khatiwada, Sarala Kumari Yadav, Som Prasad Pandey, Kalila Khatoon, Pushpakumari Karna Kayastha, Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Met Mani Chaudhari, Yagya Raj Sunuwar.
