The main opposition CPN-UML which said on Sunday that it would make a counter move against three ruling parties’ impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana changed its tone on Monday saying it would not take any decision in a hurry and that it would devise a strategy prudently.

“We have entrusted our leadership with the task of taking necessary decisions to counter the ruling parties’ impeachment motion against Rana,” said Bishal Bhattarai, chief whip of the UML, after the party’s meeting of the Parliamentary Party.

Three ruling parties—the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist (Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist)—on Sunday morning filed an impeachment motion against Rana with the signatures of 98 lawmakers.

Speculations were rife that the UML in a counter move might bring impeachment motions against at least four justices who were part of the Rana-led Constitutional Bench that on July 12 last year threw Oli out of office while restoring the House dissolved by him.

At Monday’s UML meeting, opinions, however, were divided whether to move impeachment motions against other justices or drop the idea for now and devise some other strategies. The UML is of the view that the impeachment motion against Rana was filed to sabotage upcoming local elections announced for May 13.

All the UML lawmakers on Monday, however, have already provided their signatures to the leadership so that the party could bring impeachment motion(s) as and when needed.

“We have given our signatures so that the leadership could use it whenever necessary,” said Sher Bahadur Tamang, a lawmaker. He did not elaborate the purpose of the signatures.

“We cannot be irresponsible like the ruling parties and therefore we will take appropriate decisions at appropriate times,” lawmaker Tamang quoted Oli as saying.

Oli, according to Bhattarai, had said the impeachment was basically brought with an intention to delay the local elections, endorse the MCC compact and continuously attack democracy by weakening the judiciary.