SC order not to implement decision to suspend lawmaker Devkota

Kathmandu: The Supreme Court has ordered not to implement the decision and notice to suspend the Member of Gandaki Province Assembly Phanindra Devkota. A single bench of Justice Prakashman Singh Raut issued an interim order not to implement the decision and notice of the Speaker of Gandaki Province until the dispute is settled. "There is no dispute that the petitioner was elected as a member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly, the fact that the petitioner is affiliated with the Nepal Samajbadi Party is evident from the official documents including the notice published in the Nepal Gazette", the order said. The petitioner is affiliated with the Nepal Samajbadi Party and it does not appear that the petitioner has renounced the party, nor the party has taken any action or expelled him. The court said that the right to expel the Gandaki Provincial Assembly member from CPN (Maoist Centre), a political party to which MP Devkota is not affiliated, has not been guaranteed in accordance with the constitutional and l egal provisions, reads the order. "If the decision and notice of the Speaker of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly is implemented, the petitioner will not be able to perform his role as a representative of the people and will suffer irreparable damage until the decision of the writ petition is decided. The Maoist Centre took action against Devkota as he cast his vote for Surendraraj Pandey, candidate of Chief Minister from the Nepali Congress, against the whip of the party. Source: National News Agency RSS