PM Prachanda to Seek Vote of Confidence on July 12

Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is set to seek a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on July 12. This move comes as his government, led by the CPN (Maoist Center), has lost majority support following the CPN (UML)’s decision to form a new coalition with the Nepali Congress, the main opposition party.

On Monday, President Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) Chairman K P Sharma Oli signed a power-sharing agreement aimed at forming a new government, sidelining Prime Minister Dahal. Under this arrangement, the Prime Ministerial position will be shared on a rotational basis for the remainder of the parliamentary term.

Facing mounting pressure to resign from both the CPN (UML) and the Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Dahal has opted to confront Parliament without stepping down. The coalition government has already seen the resignation of all eight CPN (UML) ministers, further diminishing support for Prime Minister Dahal’s administration to 77 votes.