Amping up the Upper House

Only with a robust institutional backbone can it effectively carry out its constitutional role.

Nepal continues to experience political uncertainty in the aftermath of the Gen Z uprising. Although the Election Commission has already scheduled the next House of Representatives election for February 23, 2026, major political parties remain unsettled, and the overall electoral process has not gained the expected momentum. The case concerning the dissolution of the House of Representatives is still before the Supreme Court, with petitions filed by the CPN-UML and some of the Nepali Congress lawmakers. At this critical moment, the court must interpret constitutional provisions not in isolation but in harmony with the broader democratic pulse of the nation, including civic movements, evolving public sentiment, and continuing demand for transparency and accountability. Constitutionalism, after all, is not just a legal construct; it is a lived democratic practice shaped by public legitimacy.