Former Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli gives statement to commission probing deadly crackdown that toppled his government, after initially refusing to cooperate.
KATHMANDU: Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli has given a statement to a government commission investigating the deadly crackdown on a youth-led uprising that toppled his government.
Commission spokesperson Bigyan Raj Sharma confirmed the development on Sunday.
He said officials reached Oli’s residence to deliver a summons for questioning, at which point the former leader provided his statement.
It remains unclear if Oli will face further questioning.
He had previously refused to appear before the commission, accusing it of lacking a “constitutional basis”.
The unrest last year left 77 people dead.
It was triggered by a brief government ban on social media and built on years of public frustration over economic stagnation and political corruption.
Protests spread nationwide on September 9, with parliament and government offices set ablaze.
This prompted the collapse of Oli’s administration.
The four-time prime minister resigned shortly after angry protesters set fire to his house and hundreds of other buildings.
In his resignation letter, Oli said he hoped stepping down would help find a “political solution”.
The 73-year-old has since been re-elected as leader of his Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML).
He will oversee its preparations for upcoming polls scheduled for March 5.
A caretaker administration led by former chief justice Sushila Karki is running the country until the election.
One of her first acts was to establish the commission to investigate the violence.
Authorities soon imposed a travel ban on Oli and several other former top officials.
The commission has already recorded statements from key security leaders, including the former home minister, army chief, and police head.
