CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that the Legislature- Parliament will be automatically reinstated if the election process is foiled.

Targeting yesterday’s Supreme Court (SC) decision and its possible outcome, leader Dahal said, “The Parliament was dissolved as the election process had already begun.” “It will be reinstated if the election is not conducted on time” he added.

He said so while launching a book titled ‘Adhunik Nepalko Itihas’ penned by Maoist Centre leader Laxman Panta in the Capital on Thursday.

The Maoist supremo made it clear that the Election Commission (EC) started printing ballot papers as per the agreement forged between Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli among other senior leaders.

The SC on Wednesday had ordered the EC to print separate ballot papers for the federal and provincial elections under the first-past-the-post system and present a report on the progress made to that effect since its earlier ruling on October 18. 

A single bench of Justice Dambar Bahadur Shahi had issued the order in response to a contempt of court writ filed on Tuesday by Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) leader Sarbendra Nath Shukla.

The bench had also asked Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav to furnish clarification within three days as to why he should not face contempt of court for defying the court’s earlier order.