Nepal Politics: Amid uncertainty over support from his allies, Nepal’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is set to win a vote of confidence in Parliament on Tuesday, January 10.
Earlier on December 26, the 68-year-old leader of the CPN-Maoist Center was sworn in as prime minister for the third time. This came after his sudden exit from the Nepali Congress-led pre-poll alliance and joining hands with Leader of the Opposition KP Sharma Oli.
Nepal’s new parliament session began on January 9
After the appointment of Prachanda as Prime Minister, the country’s first Parliament session began on Monday, 9 January. According to local media reports, the Nepali Congress, the largest political party in parliament, is likely to vote in support of Prime Minister Prachanda, while the opposition remains on the benches.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prachanda also reportedly met Nepali Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba and sought his support in Parliament.
My Repubblica newspaper quoted a leader close to Deuba as saying, “Deuba has said that after the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday morning, our party will decide whether to support the new government or not.”
‘I am confident of getting the trust vote…’: PM Prachanda
Talking to the media, Prachanda had said that he was confident of getting the trust vote. He claimed, “I am not only confident of getting the trust vote, but I am sure that the entire House will stand united on the trust vote.”
According to the power-sharing agreement between the UML and the Maoist Center prior to the appointment of Dahal as the new Prime Minister, the UML would elect its own candidates as Chairman and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
NC vice-presidents Purna Bahadur Khadka and Krishna Prasad Situala were present when Prime Minister Prachanda held a meeting with Deuba.
Party insiders said that although a formal decision to this effect will be taken through the NC parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, the party is likely to support Prachanda and remain on the opposition benches.
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The NC and the CPN (Maoist Centre) formed an electoral alliance for the parliamentary elections held on 20 November. Formed an alliance with the CPN-UML to form a new government.
Party representation in the Parliament of Nepal
The NC has 89 MLAs in the 275-member House of Representatives, while the UML has 79.
Similarly, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rashtriya Swatantra Party have 32, 10 and 20 members, respectively. Janamat Party has 6 members, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party 4 and Nagarik Unmukti Party 3 members in the parliament.
Read also: Nepal’s former PM Prachanda made an agreement with Oli, became the new Prime Minister
Prachanda was appointed as Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76(2) of the Constitution with the support of 169 MPs, including the UML, Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), Janmat Party, Nagrik Immunti Party and three independent MPs. went. Of Nepal. Prachanda needs 138 votes in the 275-member parliament to continue his term as prime minister.
(With PTI inputs)