KATHMANDU, June 19: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the government´s decision extending the tenures of eight brigadier generals.
The government on June 6 extended the brigadiers´ terms although they had been pensioned off by the Maoist-led government in March. [break]
Justices Tapa Bahadur Magar and Prakash Wasti, after a hearing at the Supreme Court, said that there was no need to stay the government´s decision for now as the court would decide on the constitutionality of the term extensions during a final hearing.
The apex court reached the conclusion on Friday after discussions participated by lawyers representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
The order means that the eight brigadiers -Nara Bahadur Kandel, Narendra Bahadur Rawal, Kumar Budhathoki, Pawan Bahadur Pandey, Pradip Bikram Rana, Shiva Kumar Poudel, Ramesh Bista and Raju Pratap KC- will continue in office as decided by the government until the court gives its final ruling.
The term extensions constituted one of the issues that had dampened relations between the army and the Maoists while the latter were in power till May 4. At the time, the brigadiers had moved the court which ultimately stayed their retirement. The stay order had led the Maoists to take to the streets against the judiciary and the justices.