Supreme Court: Arbiter of democracy

One bad stumble is all it takes for a fledgeling system to suffer a fatal blow.

The significance of the February 23 ruling by the Supreme Court deeming Prime Minister KP Oli’s December 20 dissolution of the House of Representatives as unconstitutional cannot be overstated. On the surface, it is just one of those decisions that went the plaintiff’s way in a court of law. Arguably, it could have as easily gone the defendant’s way. But, deep down, it will probably be some time before the magnitude of the verdict sinks in. A decision to the contrary had the potential to push back political and economic reforms years, if not decades. In all probability, the annals of history will view the reinstatement of the House as a major stepping stone for Nepal’s budding democracy.