("Reflections from a decade back" is a regular feature of rejuvenated TND. Pramod Pandey compiles this section from materials published approximately 10 years ago.
This piece of news was originally published on TND dated Sept 27, 1994 (24 Ashoj 2051 BkSm) and was submitted by Rajendra P. Shrestha." - Ed)

From 10 year old TND: Supreme Court OKs elections

HEADLINE: Top Nepali court clears way for elections DATELINE: KATHMANDU, Sept 12

Nepal's Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for national elections in November by a seven to four majority, rejecting a claim that they were scheduled unconstitutionally.

Seven judges ruled that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was within his constitutional rights to ask King Birendra to dissolve parliament and call early elections after the Congress Party leader lost a key vote in the assembly.

The other four judges said Koirala's decision to resign and ask for fresh elections at the same time was unconstitutional.

Koirala lost the vote in July because 36 of his party deputies who wanted him out of the job stayed away from parliament.

Koirala took power in 1991 after the poor Himalayan kingdom's first democratic elections in three decades. Congress dissidents who had fought him since then said he should have allowed another party leader the chance to form a government.

Opposition parties objected to Koirala's appointment as caretaker prime minister, saying a free and fair election campaign was impossible with him still running the government machinery.

They launched a protest campaign but failed to dislodge him.

The Supreme Court decision was on a petition brought by four people, of whom two were members of the dissolved 205-seat parliament. It appeared to mean the end of legal action to halt the elections, for which some 65 parties have registered.

"We are all bound to accept the court's verdict gracefully," said Durga Subedi, one of the four who brought the petition.