"Hearing on 12 petitions against the dissolution of parliament has begun," said Bhadrakali Pokharel, a Supreme Court spokesman. Lawyers opposed to Oli's decision argued that the prime minister had no prerogative to dissolve parliament under the constitution. "I have requested that the court issue an interim order against the dissolution," said Dinesh Tripathi, a lawyer and one of the petitioners. Seven ministers have stepped down to challenge the dissolution and stated that it was a violation of the "popular mandate" given to them in 2017 general election. Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari over the weekend set April 30 and May 10 for the general election, a year ahead of schedule.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 23, 2020 08:37 UTC