A day after Nepal’s acting Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli reshuffled his cabinet-- to include ten leaders from a faction of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) - opposition leaders condemned the move, accusing Oli of making “mockery of constitution and democratic norms.” Significantly, the cabinet rejig came at a time when parliament is already dissolved, and Oli is only a caretaking head of government. Furthermore, the house dissolution decision is itself being challenged in the country’s apex court. 

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior CPN- UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chair of CPN-Maoist Centre Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Co-chair of Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal Upendra Yadav, and Vice-chair of Rashtriya Janamorcha Durga Paudel have signed the statement, condemning the move.     

Many believe the brazen move Oli is part of the deal where he successfully managed to split the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), an opposition party in Nepal, predominantly representing the country’s Madeshis who have historically at an odd with Communist parties. Ten leaders of the Thakur-Mahato faction of the JSP on Friday joined the Oli government. 

However, experts in the country questioned the move making changes in the cabinet when the house is dissolved and elections are pending. 

“A cabinet reshuffle, in general, is not a big deal, but there has to be the rationale behind it,” said Bhojraj Pokharel, a former bureaucrat and former chief election commissioner of Nepal, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. “The reshuffle today is clearly aimed at influencing the elections if they happen,” he added.

Pokharel has for years been lobbying for democratic reforms in the country. 

On the other hand, for over a year now, Oli has now been notorious for taking these ad-hoc measures--even if they violate the constitution-- just to stick to power. 

(SAM)