I oppose the Supreme Court’s order to halt the implementation of the constituency development fund program. The order smacks of judicial activism and it will eventually weaken the parliamentary system.

The executive, legislature and judiciary should function within their respective limits. When the boundaries blur, democracy will suffer. I have faith in the apex court but the latest order is not principally acceptable. It’s not about Rs 50m, it’s about the order made without comprehending the issue. It’s not the legislature that executes the programs under the fund; it’s the executive. The MPs are just there to facilitate the developmental activities in their respective areas. But the phrasing in the court order implies parliamentary execution.

The parliament has the exclusive right to set the tax rate, allocate/distribute the resources it has and enact laws. The court must comprehend the consequences of such actions. Judicial activism has ended democracy in many countries. 

The author is chief whip of Nepali Congress