SC full bench to hear writ petition against formation of Koshi govt from today

KATHMANDU, June 9: The Supreme Court (SC)’s full bench is scheduled to hear the writ petition against the formation of the Koshi province government starting today.

Previously, on June 5, Wednesday, a joint bench comprising Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Balkrishna Dhakal directed that the writ petition be forwarded to the full bench for further hearing.

The judges, Shrestha and Dhakal, emphasized the need for constitutional interpretation in this dispute.

Former Chief Minister Kedar Karki filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that it is unconstitutional to form a new government following the provisions of Article 168 (5) of the Constitution. Former Chief Minister (CM) Kedar Karki has argued in the writ that Province Chief Parshuram Khapung unlawfully dismissed his government.

Karki’s petition demands that the current Chief Minister Hikmat Karki be removed from his position and that he himself be reinstated as Chief Minister.

In the writ, Karki has named the Office of the Province Chief, Koshi Province Chief Parasuram Khapung, and Koshi Provincial Assembly Speaker Amar Bahadur Bista, among others, as defendants.

Hikmat Karki secured the Chief Minister position with the support of 52 provincial lawmakers from the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center).

Provincial chief Khapung appointed Hikmat Karki as Chief Minister under Article 168 (5) of the Constitution on May 9.