Oli to not attend swearing-in of Deuba

Outgoing prime minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly-appointed PM Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Oli will not attend the swearing-in ceremony, according to his press advisor Surya Thapa.  

The swearing-in ceremony has been delayed after the appointment letter issued by the President's Office to appoint him did not mention article of the Constitution.

Deuba was invited to the Shital Niwas for the swearing-in ceremony at six in the evening but he asked for correction of the letter through Chief Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi. "Chief Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi has been summoned and asked to mention the article of the Constitution in the appointment letter feeling that the relationship between the president and the PM should be cordial," a leader close to Deuba told Setopati. "He took a stand that the article must be mentioned in the appointment letter as the PM is appointed as per article of the Constitution."

The appointment letter issued by the President's Office mentioned that Deuba has been appointed PM as per the Supreme Court (SC) verdict of Monday and did not mention the Article 76(5) of the Constitution in accordance to which the Apex Court ordered appointment of Deuba as PM.

Deuba has reached the Shital Niwas after being assured that the letter will be corrected but has not gone to the spot where he will be sworn in.

Discussions are still going on about correction in the letter. Former PMs Pushpa Kamal dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, and former chairman of council of ministers Khila Raj Regmi have also reached the Shital Niwas.

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, and leaders of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center), and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) have also reached for the ceremony.