Kathmandu, Sep 13: Nepal’s next parliamentary elections will be held on March 5, President Ramchandra Paudel’s office has announced, following a week of violent protests that led to the resignation of KP Sharma Oli and Sushila Karki taking over as the country’s first woman prime minister.
President Paudel, while dissolving the House of Representatives on the recommendation of the newly-appointed prime minister on Friday, said the next parliamentary election would be held on March 5.
Former Chief Justice Karki, 73, was sworn-in as the country’s first woman prime minister, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Oli this week following wide-spread anti-government protests against a ban on social media and alleged corruption.
Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday’s protests.
The prime minister will form a small Cabinet on Sunday, two days after her swearing-in ceremony, as offices are closed on Saturday.
Karki will hold some two dozen ministries, including Home, Foreign Affairs and Defence.
Sources at the President’s Office said that the prime minister will form a council of ministers with the inclusion of a small number of ministers on Sunday, when she will assume office.
As the Prime Minister’s Office in Singhdurbar Secretariat was set on fire during the two-day agitation, the newly-constructed building for the Home Ministry within the Singhdurbar complex is being prepared for the Prime Minister’s Office, according to government sources.
Removing the ashes and cleaning are being done in the surrounding areas of the building to shift the Prime Minister’s Office there.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Karki on Saturday visited the Civil Hospital in Baneshwor area of Kathmandu where dozens of people injured during the agitation are undergoing treatment.
Nepal parties, lawyers slam Parliament dissolution move
Nepal’s major political parties and apex lawyers’ body have strongly criticised the president’s decision to dissolve Parliament, describing the move as “unconstitutional”, “arbitrary” and a serious blow to democracy.
The chief whips of the dissolved House of Representatives have issued a joint statement opposing the dissolution of the Parliament.
The house was dissolved with effect from 11 pm on September 12, 2025, according to a notice issued by the President’s Office.
Disapproving of the move, Nepali Congress (NC), the largest political party of the country, warned that any action violating the Constitution would be unacceptable.
The Central Executive Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress held on Saturday concluded that the dissolution of the Parliament has “jeopardised the democratic achievements” of the country, MyRepublica news portal reported.
“This move to dissolve parliament is against the spirit of our Constitution and the interpretation of the Supreme Court. It is absolutely unconstitutional,” the NC said in a statement.
Issuing a late-night statement, the Nepal Bar Association said the “arbitrary” dissolution undermines constitutional supremacy and “strikes at the core of constitutionalism”.
The umbrella body of legal professionals warned that the step weakens Nepal’s hard-won democracy and dilutes the achievements of federalism. (PTI)