Kathmandu, Dec. 20 -- President Bidya Devi Bhandari has officially given her office's formal stamp of approval to Prime Minsiter K P Oli's reccomendation through the Cabinet on Sunday to dissolve the Lower House of the Nepal Parliament.

The proposal had been greeted all morning with sharp and widespread condemnation, and many had said that only the office of the President and the Supreme Court could overturn the decision.

With President Bhandari's approval, it is now up to the Supreme Court to deliberate on a writ petition that is almost certainly going to be filed on Sunday itself.

Constitutional experts, commentators and political leaders said Prime Minister Oli's move would undermine democracy and rule of law in Nepal. Many found it...