KATHMANDU: A high-level meeting of the Constitutional Council erupted into a fierce political standoff on Friday when opposition leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe openly challenged the executive authority of Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah, citing an absolute breakdown in institutional dialogue and governance.

The confrontation ignited over the sudden, unconsulted recommendation of Man Bahadur Karki as the new Chief Election Commissioner.

Angdembe, representing the main opposition party Nepali Congress, accused the Prime Minister of running the highly sensitive council like a unilateral regime.

“We are suffering from a complete vacuum of communication,” Angdembe told the Prime Minister during the heated session. “There is no dialogue between you and the President, nor with the opposition. Personally, I know who you are, but in your official capacity as Prime Minister and Chair of this Council, I do not recognize you.”

The opposition leader lambasted Shah’s tendency to bypass the council’s key legislative members—including the Speaker of the House and the National Assembly Chairman—while attempting backchannel deals with the Chief Justice.

When Prime Minister Shah defended his actions by claiming his private outreach attempts were being “misinterpreted by the press,” Angdembe fired back, demanding that state affairs be conducted through formal protocol and consensus rather than personal ad-hocism.