Nepal SC sends petitions against Parl dissolution to Constitutional Bench

Nepal's Supreme Court on Thursday sent all the 19 petitions challenging the dissolution of the House of Representatives by the President to the Constitutional Bench.

As many as 30 petitions, including one by the Opposition have been filed at the SC, challenging Friday's House dissolution by President Bidya Bhandari and rejection of Opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba's claim by the President for the post of prime minister.

After a preliminary hearing on the 19 petitions, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Cholendra Shumsher Rana decided to send them all to the Constitutional Bench, the Kathmandu Post reported.

"A single bench of Chief Justice Rana has decided to send all the petitions related to the House dissolution to the Constitutional Bench," Kishor Poudel, a communication expert at the Supreme Court said.

The cases will be heard along with 11 others, including the one filed by 146 lawmakers demanding appointment of Nepali Congress President Deuba as the prime minister.

Eleven petitions were directly registered at the Constitutional Bench.

Some of the petitioners had demanded an interim against the dissolution and calling of the House meeting to present the national budget. Rana, however, refused. As per the constitutional provision, the government must present the federal budget at the federal Parliament on Jestha 15, which is May 29 this year.

Since there is no Parliament, the government is planning to bring the budget through an ordinance.

According to court officials, the Constitutional Bench will start hearing from Friday.