Differences over whether to include the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki in the agenda resulted in the postponement of Thursday’s scheduled Parliament meeting, which was also supposed to take up constitution amendment bill for discussions. 

As many as 249 lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) on Sunday registered the impeachment motion against Karki. 

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal refused UML’s demand that the ruling coalition withdraw the impeachment motion.

As events unfolded in the day, the UML managed to get 10 other parties on its side against the impeachment motion. Interestingly, the Nepal Loktantrik Forum (NLF) led by Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, which is supporting the NC-Maoist coalition, has also decided to stand with the main opposition. 

With the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which pulled out of the government on Monday, the NLF and Upendra Yadav’s Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal siding with the UML-led opposition bloc, the number of lawmakers against the impeachment motion stands at 265. 

“We have agreed to vote against the impeachment motion,” said Dilnath Giri, chief whip of the RPP.  

During a meeting between PM Dahal and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli at Speaker Onasari Gharti’s office, Oli had urged the prime minister to withdraw the impeachment motion. But PM Dahal is learnt to have told Oli that the House should be allowed to finalise the issue. 

An unconvinced UML then threatened to obstruct the House proceedings, resulting in the postponement of the meeting until 10am Friday.