After move to impeach CJ, Nepal Army maintains vigil'
Karki, 64, has been automatically suspended from the position after the motion was registered.
Kathmandu: The Nepal Army will maintain vigil due to the “unfolding events” in the country, it said, in an unusual move hours after an impeachment motion was registered in the Parliament against the first woman chief justice.
The decision to step up security vigil was taken at a high-level meeting on Sunday night, hours after the impeachment motion was registered against Sushila Karki by two major ruling parties. The motion accused her of “interfering” with the executive and “prejudiced” verdicts.
Top officials have decided to maintain vigil in view of the challenges to security from “unfolding events”, the Army’s media wing said, without explaining what it meant by unfolding events. It said the officials also reviewed overall security situation in Nepal.
Ms Karki, 64, has been automatically suspended from the position after the motion was registered. A total of 249 lawmakers from the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist-Centre) have signed the motion.
As a fallout, deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs Bimalendra Nidhi too resigned. A close aide of Mr Nidhi told reporters he had serious reservations over the motion. Mr Nidhi leads the Nepali Congress, the largest constituent of the ruling coalition mustered by PM Prachanda. Nepal is scheduled to hold local-level polls on May 14.