Nepali Congress and UML Strike Deal, Prachanda’s Government Near Collapse

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) reached a landmark power-sharing agreement, signaling a significant shift in the country’s political landscape.

The deal, finalized at 12:30 am, places the current government led by Maoist Chairman Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on the brink of dissolution. This agreement was forged after a month of intensive discussions, culminating in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Key Points of the Agreement:

– Formation of a National Consensus Government: UML Chairman Oli will lead the government initially, followed by NC President Deuba in the second phase.

– Constitutional Amendments: A high-level constitution recommendation commission will be established to amend the constitution, particularly targeting the removal of the proportional election system.

– Ministerial Allocations: UML will manage nine ministries, including Finance, while NC will handle ten ministries, including Home. In the provincial government, the two parties will share the chief ministerial positions equally.

– Political Stability: The agreement aims to ensure political stability by reforming the electoral system based on the commission’s recommendations.

– Majority Formation: If forming a national consensus government is unfeasible, the parties plan to gather a two-thirds majority in the parliament to push through the constitutional amendments.

The MoU, also signed by UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak, marks a strategic alliance that could reshape Nepal’s political future.