Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recently disclosed that his unprecedented action to dissolve parliament five months ago was due to palace pressure.

Former prime minister and president of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Deuba had invited leaders of various political parties to a luncheon at his residence on Monday. The gathering turned into an all-party meet where various political issues were discussed. When KP Sharma Oli asked Deuba whose pressure he had given in to, the former prime minister indicated that he was forced by the palace. When Surya Bahadur Thapa, leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, asked Deuba why he dissolved parliament, the former prime minister replied that he hadn't done so of his own volition. Deuba expressed sorrow over the royal declaration that followed his request to the king to postpone elections.

He said the king's decision to assume executive powers was anti-democratic and undermined the victory of the People's Movement of 1990. According to a leader present at the meeting, Deuba urged the seven parties represented there to unite against the king's decision, which he said undermined the agreement of the seven parties to postpone elections.

Deuba remained quiet when KP Sharma Oli asked why he didn't call an all-party meeting as soon as he got an indication that the king was to relieve him of office. He was also silent when Oli asked him why he had asked the king to postpone elections by a year when an all-party meeting had agreed to postpone the elections for six months. When Deuba asked the party leaders to release a joint statement against the king's undemocratic act in removing the prime minister, Sadbhavana Party leader Hriyadesh Tripathi, Janamorcha Nepal leader Ghanashyam Sharma, and Nepal Majdoor Kisaan Party leader Narayan Man Bijukchhe all refused. Janamorcha Nepal's secretary Sharma said the only way to safeguard the victory of 1990 was to hold elections for a constituent assembly to bring the king and the Maoists on a democratic path.