Kathmandu: A group of civil society members has issued an appeal to protect the dignity of the Supreme Court. Taking exception to the comments and criticisms made by the political class against the Supreme Court verdict on Nijgadh Airport, they have said that they have serious objection to such comments and criticisms.
“The International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives’ May 30 directive to the government of Nepal that the Supreme Court verdict is not appropriate from any angle and thus the airport construction work should proceed has come to intervene the jurisdiction of the judiciary to independently adjudicate the case,” reads the appeal signed by Daman Nath Dhungana, Anup Raj Sharma, Balaram KC, Charan Prasai, Kanak Mani Dixit, Tara Nath Dahal, Gita Pathak Sangroula and Raju Prasad Chapagain.
They have said that the act of directing the government to defy the court verdict, even as the full text of the verdict is yet to become public, is against the Regulations of the House of Representatives (2018).
They have also asked the leaders of the political parties, representatives, and government officials to respect the principle of separation of powers, judicial independence, and the dignity of the judiciary.
Nepal’s Supreme Court (SC) on May 26 ordered the government not to construct the much-debated Nijgadh International Airport. The Court ordered the government to seek an alternative to the proposed airport if there is a need for another international airport.
It may be noted that the government in its policies and programs and the budget for the upcoming fiscal year had announced to continue with the airport construction works.
On May 30, the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives instructed the government to remove legal hurdles to resume Nijgadh Airport construction work. The Committee had said that the decision to halt a large investment project initiated after a long study was not appropriate from any angle.
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