Petition filed in SC against CPN-UML, Unified CPN-Maoist agreement

A writ petition has been filed at the Nepal Supreme Court against the nine-point agreement signed recently between the ruling CPN-UML and the Unified CPN-Maoist.

Four advocates and a law student have filed the writ petition, stating that the two parties' agreement to withdraw conflict era cases and to accelerate the process of amending the relevant laws within 15 days was against the verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court, reports The Himalayan Times.

The petitioners said that certain parts of the nine-point agreement, particularly the third and seventh points were against the norms and values of independent judiciary.

The petitioners have said the signatories of the nine-point deal acted against the independence of judiciary as the deal intended to override the Supreme Court's verdict.

The petitioners have argued in their petition that the nine-point agreement was aimed at transferring the court cases to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappeared Persons in order to secure acquittal from those mechanisms.

The petitioners said the nine-point agreement was against Articles 20 (9), 46 and 125 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.

They said the nine-point agreement was in violation of independence of judiciary and principle of finality of judgment.

The petitioners have named Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, CPN-UML and UCPN-M chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal the defendants in the case.