Reuters
A faction of Nepal’s ruling communist party declared a nationwide strike on Thursday to ramp up opposition against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for dissolving parliament and seeking fresh polls amid a pandemic-induced economic crisis.
The call to shutdown businesses, shops, educational institutions was part of protest campaign launched across the Himalayan nation, after Oli dissolved parliament on December 20, citing a lack of cooperation from other leaders of his Nepal Communist Party (NCP).
Supreme Court judges hearing more than a dozen petitions challenging the legality of parliament’s dissolution are expected to give a verdict this month. If they rule in Oli’s favour elections have been scheduled in two phases, on April 30 and May 10.
The call for a strike came after Oli earlier this week appointed senior officials to constitutional bodies, including commissions on human rights and investigations into abuse of authority. Opponents in the NCP accused Oil of bypassing a requirement for appointees to be approved by the parliament.
“Declaring the strike is our compulsion to oppose the prime minister’s unrestrained move to avoid the due process of law to make the appointments,” said Pampha Bhusal, a senior leader who along with her colleagues declared the strike.
