The CPN-UML has moved the Supreme Court, arguing that the dissolution of the House of Representatives was carried out unconstitutionally.

The party filed a writ petition on Tuesday demanding the restoration of the lower house. The petition was signed by former chief whip Mahesh Bartaula and whip Sunita Baral on behalf of the then parliamentary party.

Bartaula said the party submitted a writ seeking the reinstatement of the “unconstitutionally dissolved” House on behalf of the CPN-UML parliamentary party.

Supreme Court spokesperson and joint registrar Arjun Prasad Koirala said the petition filed by the UML is under study.

The petitioners have asked the court to declare the appointment of Sushila Karki as prime minister unconstitutional. They argue she was not a member of the House of Representatives, had already served as chief justice, lacked support from any parliamentary party, and was appointed in violation of Articles 76 and 132(2) of the constitution. They seek an order invalidating her appointment, along with the President’s decision of September 12 and all subsequent actions taken by her government.

They have requested the court to quash the prime minister’s recommendation to dissolve the House made on September 12, restore the House by treating the period after September 8 as a void, and ensure that all state bodies operate in their previous form. They have also sought an order directing the President to initiate the government formation process under Article 76, given that then prime minister KP Sharma Oli had already resigned.

They have asked the court to halt all processes related to the announced House of Representatives elections. Considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter, they have urged the court to seek written responses from the defendants, fix an early hearing date, and conduct continuous hearings.

The Nepali Congress, the then ruling party, is also preparing a similar writ. Leader Shyam Ghimire said the party is likely to approach the court within a day or two.

Earlier, two parties from the previous ruling coalition had planned to file a joint petition, claiming support from a majority of lawmakers in the dissolved parliament. However, after failing to secure a majority when combining their lawmakers, they decided to submit separate petitions.