Political crisis in Nepal; Oli government recommends convening winter session of upper house from January 1

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The government led by Nepal’s troubled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has recommended the President to convene the winter session of the Upper House of Parliament on 1 January. The lower house was dissolved about a week ago. President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli and announced the dates for the mid-term election. Since then, Nepal has been caught in political crisis. A section of the ruling party and various opposition parties are opposing it.

A cabinet meeting held on Friday evening recommended that the president call the winter session of the National Assembly on January 1. Hridayesh Tripathi, who was made health minister on Friday, told the Kathmandu Post. A meeting was held by Prime Minister Oli to reshuffle the cabinet. During this period, eight ministers, including five former Maoist leaders, were included in the cabinet and the portfolio of their five ministers was changed. Seven ministers of the Prachanda-led faction resigned from their posts after the dissolution of the House of Representatives on Sunday. Oli also took over the position of leader of the parliamentary party of Nepal Communist Party, now the responsibility given to Prachanda

The budget session of Parliament was convened on 2 July by the President on the recommendation of the government. According to the Constitution of Nepal, the difference between the two parliament sessions cannot exceed six months. There was also pressure on Oli to call a winter session of Parliament amid growing opposition demands from the party to resign. Instead, he decided to dissolve the lower house on Sunday. His move was criticized by experts in constitutional matters. He called this unconstitutional. Nepal Supreme Court is hearing 13 cases against it. The court on Friday issued a show cause notice against the government.