Kathmandu, July 11: Ahead of a floor test for Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Friday, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have issued whips requiring their lawmakers to vote against the confidence motion tabled by the former guerrilla leader.
K P Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML, the largest party in the ruling coalition, withdrew support from the Prachanda-led government last week after inking a power-sharing deal with the largest party in the House – Nepali Congress – to replace the former Maoist leader, who is expected to lose the confidence vote.
The Nepali Congress, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives, has 89 seats at present, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is much more than the 138 seats required for a majority in the lower house. Prachanda’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has 32 seats.
Prachanda, who requires 138 votes for the government to win the vote of confidence in the House, is likely to secure around 63 votes, and the government is almost sure to lose the floor test on Friday.
The NC has instructed its lawmakers to vote against Prachanda’s confidence motion. Similarly, the CPN-UML has also issued a whip requiring its lawmakers to vote against the motion, My Republica newspaper reported. This coordinated effort between NC and UML aims to oust the Prachanda-led government and establish new administrations at both federal and provincial levels.
NC-UML coalition for pol stability, devp, says Oli
CPN-UML chairperson K P Sharma Oli has defended his party’s decision to ditch embattled Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and form a coalition government with the Nepali Congress, saying it was required for maintaining political stability and development of the country.
Oli-led CPN-UML, the largest party in the ruling coalition, withdrew support for the Prachanda-led government last week after inking a power-sharing deal with the largest party – Nepali Congress – to replace the former Maoist leader, who is expected to lose the confidence vote on Friday.
The NC has 89 seats at present, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is much more than the 138 seats required for a majority in the lower house. Prachanda’s party has 32 seats. (PTI)
