Nepal PM Prachanda to Face Vote of Confidence Amid Political Turmoil

Nepal PM Prachanda to Face Vote of Confidence Amid Political Turmoil

Nepal PM Prachanda to Face Vote of Confidence Amid Political Turmoil

Key Highlights:

1. Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) opts for a confidence vote.
2. Midnight agreement between Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to share power.
3. Prachanda seeks support from various parties to secure confidence vote.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, has decided to face the vote of confidence rather than resign immediately. Devendra Paudel, Secretary of the CPN-Maoist Center, confirmed that Prachanda would test the support in parliament and not step down. “He will not resign. He has decided to take the vote of confidence, test the mathematics,” Paudel said.

This decision follows a late-night deal between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to form a new alliance. According to the agreement, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli will share the prime ministerial tenure equally. Oli will lead the new government for the first 18 months, followed by Deuba for the remaining term until the next election.

The new alliance also formed a committee, led by former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, to suggest amendments to election procedures and the constitution. As part of the agreement, the Vice President will be made the chairman of the National Assembly.

Before the agreement, leaders from Congress and UML met President Ram Chandra Paudel to inform him about the coalition changes and the plan to activate Section 76 (2) if the incumbent Prime Minister fails the confidence vote. Prachanda, who has been in power since December 2022, has already faced four floor tests.

Prachanda initially revived a coalition with the CPN-UML in March, surprising the Nepali Congress. The following day, the Nepali Congress withdrew its support, activating Article 100 Sub-section (2), which mandates a Prime Minister to secure a minimum of 138 votes from the current parliamentarians to remain in power.

The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal left the government post-split and is now in opposition. Prachanda, a former Maoist rebel leader, initially aligned with CPN-UML to gain power in December 2022, despite having forged an alliance with Nepali Congress for the November 2022 election.

The vote of confidence on January 10, 2023, saw overwhelming support for Prachanda, with 268 out of 270 parliamentarians voting in his favor. However, within three months, Prachanda switched alliances, securing another majority vote of confidence on March 20, 2023, with 172 out of 262 lawmakers supporting him. Only 89 voted against him, with one abstention.

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