Kathmandu: Nepal’s President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the parliament of the country, accepting the recommendation of the Oli government. Mid-term elections have now been announced in Nepal. Elections will be held in two phases in April. According to the President, elections are scheduled on April 30 and May 10. Issuing this decision, Rashtrapati Bhavan has also shared a communiqué citing constitutional traditions for the decision.
Earlier Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had recommended dissolution of the House. At an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, it was decided to send a recommendation to the President to dissolve the House. The notice issued from Rashtrapati Bhavan states that President Bidya Bhandari has approved KP Sharma Oli’s recommendation to dissolve the contents. The proposal was approved under Article 76 (1) and (7), Article 85 of the Constitution of Nepal.
After the recommendation of the President to dissolve Nepal’s parliament, Prime Minister KP Oli’s government has made strict security arrangements in the country’s capital Kathmandu. Police has a large presence in the main squares of the capital. According to the Kathmandu Post, Energy Minister in Oli’s cabinet, Barshman Pun, said, “Today’s cabinet meeting has decided to send a recommendation to the president for dissolution of the house.”
Oli was pressured to withdraw an ordinance related to the Constitutional Council Act that he had issued on Tuesday. The ordinance was approved by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on the same day. On Sunday, when the emergency meeting of the cabinet was called at 10 am, it was largely expected that it would recommend changing the ordinance. But instead, the Cabinet recommended dissolving the House.
Oli had several rounds of meetings with his partner and party president Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday, as well as Secretariat member Ram Bahadur Thapa and President Bhandari in the evening.