KATHMANDU, May 9: Nepali Congress (NC) has said that the issue of impeachment against Chief Justice Sushila Karki will be resolved constitutionally after the first phase of the local elections scheduled for May 14.
 
Addressing a regular press conference organized at the party's headquarters in Sanepa on Monday, NC leader Ramesh Lekhak said that the issue of will be resolved after the election as the party is now fully focused on the local elections. “Our entire focus and energy now is centered on election. We will reach constitutional settlement of the case through discussion after the [first phase of] local election,” said Lekhak. 

The remarks by Lekhak, who is also close aide of ruling NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, comes amid ruling parties mulling various options to find a way out of the impeachment issue after the Supreme Court stayed it. Top leaders of three major political parties in parliament had held a meeting on Monday to resolve the impeachment motion registered in parliament.

Lekhak said that NC not only believes in the rule of law, but also has been fighting to institutionalize the rule of law right since its birth. “Of late, we have realized that the verdicts and decisions of the Supreme Court have exceeded the jurisdictions of the executive and legislative bodies,” he said, while adding that NC was compelled to bring the impeachment motion in order to make the judiciary independent, free and dignified.

Lekhak said that NC is committed to broadening the ownership of constitution through amendments. “Nepali Congress wants to take leadership to establish ownership of all people across the country and arouse the feeling that the constitution is a common property of all,” he said.

Stating that NC has been putting in priority to make the constitution acceptable to all through amendments right since its promulgation, Lekhak said that efforts are underway to bring amendment to the constitution through consensus among all major parties. “We have already forged common view on the revisions to be made in the constitution amendment bill that is already in parliament after holding consultations with the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal. The amendment bill will be endorsed through parliament in appropriate time,” he further said. 

 
• nepali congress
 
• ramesh lekhak
 
• sushila karki
 
• impeachment motion