Nepal PM Oli convenes meeting of constitutional council

Kathmandu [Nepal], December 17 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday convened a meeting of the constitutional council in Baluwatar, a day after he agreed to withdraw the ordinance on the Constitutional Council Act.
On Wednesday, Oli agreed to withdraw the ordinance to amend the Constitutional Council Act. A standing committee of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had also decided to repeal the ordinance, Khabarhub reported.
The meeting of the Constitutional Council was early called at 5 pm on Thursday. Meanwhile, PM Oli has convened a Cabinet meeting at 6 pm.
Khabarhub citing sources said that the leader of the opposition Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has been called for a meeting at 5 pm, but he will not attend it.
Deuba has also skipped the meeting of the Constitution Council which was called on Tuesday evening after the ordinance was issued.
The Constitutional Council is headed by the prime minister and includes the chief justice, speaker, chairperson of the National Assembly, leader of the opposition, and the deputy speaker as its members. The council makes recommendations for the key appointments of officials to various constitutional bodies.
"The ministry-wise agenda would be discussed at a meeting to be held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar," Parbat Gurung, Minister for Communications and Information Technology said.
The discussions will be held on revoking an ordinance related to the Constitutional Council brought by the government after it courted controversy, Khabarhub reported.
Hours after the new ordinance was issued, NC protested against the latest move by the government to amend the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures) Act, 2066 BS.
On Tuesday, Deuba, who is also a member of the Constitutional Council, took to Twitter, calling the government's decision to issue the ordinance as 'undemocratic'.
"The ordinance has been issued even as the post of Deputy Speaker remains vacant. It is ridiculous to say that the Constitutional Council meeting lacked quorum even without taking the Speaker of the House of Representatives into confidence and bypassing the parliament session. It has exposed the tendency of totalitarianism. This is an undemocratic move and NC clearly disagrees with it," Deuba wrote in a tweet. (ANI)