NCP's Prachanda-led faction to stage general strike in Nepal on Thursday

The ruling Nepal Communist Party's splinter faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda' and Madhav Kumar Nepal has announced a country-wide general strike against K P Sharma Oli-led government.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party's splinter faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda' and Madhav Kumar Nepal has announced a country-wide general strike against Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led government on Thursday.

Opposing the government's move of administering oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed members of various constitutional bodies, the splinter faction of the ruling party decided to stage a general strike, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, spokesperson for the party, said on Wednesday.

Transport service, markets, educational institutions will be shut down during the strike, he said.

At a press meet organised at the party office at Parisdanda on the outskirt of Kathmandu, Shrestha claimed that their general strike will be peaceful.

On Wednesday morning, Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana administered the oath of office to almost four dozen people in various constitutional bodies in the presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

Following the dissolution of parliament, the newly appointed members of constitutional bodies took oath of office and secrecy without parliamentary hearing, breaching the normal procedures.

Shrestha termed the appointment of the office bearers and members of various constitutional bodies by caretaker Oli government as unconstitutional and said that it shows autocratic tendency of the government.

The caretaker government has no right to make new appointments and also reshuffle the cabinet, he said, pointing to the latest cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Oli.

"We are compelled to go to the street to oppose the government's unconstitutional move," he added.

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after 68-year-old Oli, known for his pro-China leanings, in a surprise move dissolved Parliament, amidst a tussle for power with Prachanda.

His move to dissolve the 275-member House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party.

Oli, who is the chairperson of a faction of the NCP, has said he was forced to dissolve the House after knowing that the Prachanda-led faction was planning to file a no-confidence motion against him and introduce an impeachment motion against President Bhandari.

Oli-led CPN-UML and Prachanda-led NCP (Maoist Centre) merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party following victory of their alliance in the 2017 general elections.