Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel has asked political parties to claim the right to form a new government by Sunday evening, after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ lost a trust vote in Parliament. The President’s office stated that members of the House of Representatives (HoR) need to show they have majority support from two or more parties by 5 PM on Sunday.
“The President, following Article 76 (2) of the constitution, has called on members of the House of Representatives to demonstrate a majority to be appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal, with the backing of two or more political parties, by 5 PM on Sunday,” the statement said.
Prachanda’s caretaker role amidst a search for coalition governance
According to Article 76 (2), if no party has a clear majority in the House, the President must appoint a member who has the support of two or more parties to form a government.
Prachanda received only 63 votes in the 275-member House, falling short of the 138 needed to win confidence, with 194 votes against him. After this defeat, he has been asked to stay on as a caretaker leader until a new government is formed.
Uncertainty in governance
The situation is likely to lead to a coalition government led by former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML are preparing to present their claim to form the new government, as their combined seats in the House (167) exceed the majority needed.
Deuba, the leader of the NC, has already backed Oli to become the next Prime Minister based on a recent agreement that allows Oli to serve for 1.5 years before Deuba takes over for the rest of the term.
Political turbulence in Nepal
Nepal has faced political instability since abolishing its 239-year-old monarchy in 2008. Oli’s new government will be the 14th since then. The country’s politics are closely watched by its two major neighbours, China and India, both of whom have invested significantly in Nepal as they compete for influence in the region.
With inputs from PTI