The Supreme Court of Nepal on Friday, 25 December, issued a show-cause notice to Nepal's government on its decision to dissolve the Parliament.
The move by the country’s apex court comes after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on 20 December dissolved the Parliament owing to differences within the ruling coalition, a move his opponents have called unilateral and unconstitutional.
After Oli's decision to dissolve the House, Nepal's ruling Communist party is functioning as two political parties which were united just two years back. Until they unified in 2018, Oli was the chairman of Nepal Communist Party (UML) while Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' used to lead the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist). After their merger in May 2018, both were chairmen of the party until Monday.
Earlier in the day, the rival faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal met the Election Commission office to claim the name of the Nepal Communist Party and the election symbol.
Both factions have now constituted their own central committee members, standing committee members and party committees following the dissolution of the House.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Prachanda-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) had already removed Oli from the party chairman's post earlier this week for taking "unconstitutional" and "undemocratic" decisions, replacing him with Madhav Kumar Nepal.
It then unanimously elected Prachanda as parliamentary party leader replacing Oli on Wednesday. The Oli faction has also removed Narayan Kaji Shrestha as spokesperson and replaced him with Pradeep Gyawali.
On Thursday, a central committee of the Oli faction removed Prachanda from the party chairman's post.
Oli said the party's central committee meeting on Thursday took action against Prachanda for violating the party statute and for his involvement in anti-party activities. From Thursday, only Oli's signature will work as that of party chairman.
(With inputs from ANI and IANS.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)