Kathmandu, Sep 23 (IANS) Nepal's reinstated parliament is under attack from lawyers who have fired suits in the apex court, questioning the house decision to set itself up as the supreme authority in the country.

Lawyers Achyut Prasad Kharel, Shree Prasad Upadhyay, Amita Shrestha and Arun Subedi have filed separate petitions in the Supreme Court, challenging the parliamentary proclamation four months ago putting above the king, government and constitution.

In 2002, then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba dissolved the house for not supporting his decision to extend emergency and due to ensuing political unrest. Since then, Nepal remained without the lower house till April 2006.

Nationwide protests forced King Gyanendra, who seized power through a coup, to reinstate the house. Since then parliament made a series of sweeping changes to curb the king's authority and increase its own.

While many of the changes were welcomed by the people, parliament's decision in May to make itself the supreme authority, above even the constitution, turned lawyers against it, saying it was an attack on the independence of judiciary as well as rule of law.

The lawyers' suits became significant Friday when the Supreme Court did not reject them but asked the authorities to show cause.

The apex court has asked the office of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the cabinet, the House of Representatives, Speaker Subhash Nembang and the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs to reply within 15 days why parliament declared itself sovereign in contravention of the constitution.