KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Three nominees of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government for the National Assembly have moved the Supreme Court against the new government for setting aside their nominations and appointing new members to the upper house.
Gopal Basnet, Krishna Prasad Paudel and Chandani Joshi, who were recommended for appointment as upper house members by the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government, jointly filed a writ petition at the apex court on Friday demanding a mandamus order annulling the new appointments made by the current government and appointing themselves to the posts.
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The Office of President, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Federal Parliament Secretariat and National Assembly have been mentioned defendants in the case.
On February 20, Oli-led government, overturning the previous government's recommendations for National Assembly members had instead recommended Yubaraj Khatiwada, Ram Narayan Bidari and Bimala Paudel-Rai. On the same day later, President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed them as members of the upper house. Nepali Congress had taken exception to the new government's decision and said that such move by the government doesn't set a good precedent.
In the petition, the three have demanded an interim order to stop the oath of the new upper house members until the SC issues its final verdict. The upper house members are scheduled to take oath of office on March 4.
Stating that no law allows the current government to withdraw the recommendations which have already been forwarded to the president by the previous government, they have demanded revocation of the new appointments.
The petitioners have also accused President Bhandari of working against the spirit of the constitution.
