The KP Sharma Oli-led government in Nepal lost its majority in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after the CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” officially withdrew its support.
Chief Whip of the Maoist Centre Dev Gurung said that he had submitted a letter informing the Parliament Secretariat of the party’s decision, which he stressed was a result of growing differences with the Oli government over its recent unconstitutional and undemocratic activities. The party has a total of 49 lawmakers in the lower house, including Speaker Agni Sapkota. Now, the ruling CPN-UML, which has a total of 121 members, is short of 15 lawmakers to hit the majority mark.
To this end, PM Oli reportedly visited the opposition’s Nepali Congress (NC) leader Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday to seek his support in the upcoming May 10 vote of confidence in Parliament and save the government in the 275-member House. The leaders reportedly discussed the current political developments in the country, however, Deuba and other members of his party ultimately rejected Oli’s appeal.
Nepal has been in the throes of a political crisis since December 2020, following President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s decision to dissolve the Parliament and the announcement of fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021. The dissolution of parliament reportedly came upon Oli’s recommendation and was met with fierce opposition from rivals in the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), including Prachanda, with leaders calling the move “unconstitutional and undemocratic.” Seven Cabinet ministers even resigned from their positions to protest the matter. The NC had also condemned the government, labelling its actions as yet another attempt “to impose one-party totalitarian rule in the country.”
In February, however, the Nepalese Supreme Court annulled the government’s move and reinstated the dissolved Parliament, ordering the leadership to summon the House within 13 days. The apex court’s decision dealt a severe blow to Oli, who was preparing for the snap polls. On the other hand, the ruling was celebrated by Prachanda, the NC, as well as leaders from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Viveksheel Party, who said that the verdict was in favour of the constitutional spirit and the Nepali people’s aspirations.
Nepal PM Oli Loses Majority as Prachanda Faction Withdraws Support
The embattled leader is scheduled to face a vote of confidence in Parliament on May 10.
May 7, 2021
SOURCE: SCROLL.IN