Writ against Royal Government

Kathmandu, March 8- A writ petition, seeking the Supreme Court order to scrap the present Council of Ministers chaired by the King, was produced before it but the court officials said they would decide whether to register the case on Wednesday.

The petitioner has claimed that the present Constitution does not allow the King to chair the Council of Ministers or to appoint anyone as vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers and therefore, there was an urgent need to scrap it. Advocate Laxman Thapalia had produced the petition.

The Secretariat of the Royal Palace, the Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet, and the Vice Chairman of Council of Ministers Dr Tulsi Giri and Kirtinidhi Bista have been made defendants in the writ petition. The petitioner claimed that the Article 36 (1) of the Constitution states that majority party in the House of Representatives has right to choose its leader as Prime Minister to chair the Council of Ministers and such a prime minister would appoint deputy prime minister and ministers.

He has claimed that the King has authority no to chair the council of ministers or to appoint vice chairman, as is being done. The petitioner has sought the apex court order to withdraw the amount of money taken as salary by the two vice chairmen of the Council of Ministers because they have no right to enjoy the salary from the state treasury. He also sought apex court stay order to the government to stop its activities since it has no authority to work.