Claiming that the impeachment motion was an attempt to sully the image of Chief Justice Sushila Karki, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has demanded the ruling parties to withdraw the motion soon.

While revealing the party’s manifesto at the party office in Dhumbarahi, Oli claimed that the motion was tabled in Parliament to tarnish the image of CJ Karki with no real intent to endorse it.

CJ Karki was preparing to stay on leave after four days, Oli said, adding that the motion was brought just to gloss over government’s shortcomings. “The ruling coalition wanted such a judiciary that only endorses the government’s decisions faithfully,” he said.

Insisting that the local level elections must be held before the budget, the UML chief warned that his party might not take part in the polls if they were held after the budget presentation.

The former PM also questioned about security of the ballot boxes in places where the elections will be held on May 14 as the vote counting would take place only after the second round of polls on June 14.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had urged UML Chair Oli to support the impeachment motion. During their meeting at the Speaker’s office in Singha Durbar, the PM clarified that the lawmakers were independent to use their rights. Chairman Oli had opposed the idea of impeachment, claiming that could affect the local polls. Insisting that the motion would not affect the local polls in any way, Dahal called on the UML to support for the polls and finalise the budget-related issues through consensus.