(Updated with details at 1925 NST, 1440 GMT)
KATHMANDU, May 20: The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has registered a resolution at the parliament secretariat, demanding that parliament instruction the President to withdraw his order to the army chief to continue in office. [break]
In the resolution registered by Maoist party deputy leader in parliament Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the largest party in parliament said the President´s move was against the interim constitution, civilian supremacy and the provision on a President without any powers.
“So this House makes a commitment to instruct the President to withdraw his move and restore constitutional and civilian supremacy,” reads the resolution.
The resolution claims that the President´s instruction to the army chief, who was given retirement by a cabinet decision on May 3, has violated constitutional norms and put the concept of civilian supremacy at risk.
“It has gravely violated the concept of civilian supremacy sought by the Nepali people through their long struggle, political change and the great people´s movement of 2006,” it reads.
Party chief whip Posta Bahadur Bogati and lawmaker Barsha Man Pun seconded the resolution, which was registered as per the decision of the party´s central secretariat meeting held at the prime minister´s residence at Baluwatar, Wednesday morning.
The parliament secretariat forwarded the resolution to Speaker Subas Nembang, who immediately started consultations with his advisers and the political parties on the legal implications.
The speaker has exclusive authority to decide whether or not to forward the resolution to the House for deliberations, after consulting the political parties represented in parliament.
"I will hold a meeting of the parliamentary Busisness Advisory Committee tomorrow [Thursday] to discuss the issue," said Speaker Nembang. He, however, hinted that the resolution could be dismissed after consultation with the political parties if it is found to be against constitutional provisions.
"When the issue enters a process, it is obvious that the parties concerned should be ready to accept whatever the result would be," a parliament secretariat staffer quoted the speaker as telling the Maoist leaders.
Maoist leader Shrestha said his party was forced to register the motion on its own after it failed to garner the consensus of other parties.
Major political parties including the Nepali Congress have stood against the Maoist move, terming the issue raised by the Maoists sub-judice, as a case is at the Supreme Court.
Article 60 of the Interim Constitution prohibits the parliament and Constituent Assembly from deliberating a sub-judice case in the House. The Nepali Congress and some other parties are sticking to this clause while the Maoists say the issue is purely a political one. “We are demanding a political debate on the issue as it is a purely political one,” said Maoist leader Shrestha.
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