Kathmandu, Nov 25 (NationPress) The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), known as CPN-UML, has submitted a writ petition to the Supreme Court, requesting the restoration of the dissolved House of Representatives as it registers with the Election Commission to participate in the forthcoming elections.

After losing power following the Gen-Z movement in early September, the party, led by former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, has been advocating for the revival of the dissolved Lower House, asserting that its dissolution was unconstitutional.

On Tuesday, the UML approached the Supreme Court, contending that the dissolution of the House of Representatives was indeed unconstitutional and demanding its restoration. The petitioners also call for the removal of the current government, claiming that Prime Minister Karki was not appointed in accordance with the constitution.

Former Chief Whip of the party in the Lower House, Mahesh Bartaula, along with whip Sunita Baral, have signed the writ petition on behalf of the former ruling party.

Bartaula stated to IANS that their appeal to the Supreme Court is due to the unconstitutionality of Karki’s appointment as Prime Minister and the dissolution of the House by an ‘unconstitutionally appointed Prime Minister’.

The writ claims that since Karki is not a member of the House of Representatives and previously served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, her appointment as Prime Minister contradicts Articles 76 and 132(2) of the Constitution, rendering it prima facie unconstitutional.

Moreover, the writ seeks to annul President Ram Chandra Paudel’s decision from September 12 to dissolve the Lower House and demands its restoration, declaring the period since September 9 as void. While all major political parties, including the Nepali Congress and the reformed Nepal Communist Party led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, have committed to participating in the elections, the UML continues to push for the reinstatement of the Lower House.

However, the UML has also expressed its readiness to contest the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5 next year, having registered with the Election Commission on Tuesday.

Following the UML's registration at the election authority, Jagadish Kharel, Minister for Communication and Information Technology and Government Spokesperson, remarked that all political parties are now prepared for the polls. 'Even the political party that opposed the new elections has registered at the election authority, indicating that political parties are gearing up for the elections,' he said.