Embattled Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has opted not to resign despite an agreement between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to form a new coalition government.
Instead, Prachanda will face a vote of confidence in Parliament, as decided in a meeting of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) office-bearers in Baluwatar on Tuesday, according to party Secretary Ganesh Shah.
"The Prime Minister has decided to seek a vote of confidence," Shah confirmed.
Prachanda, 69, has previously won three confidence votes during his one-and-a-half-year term.
This development follows a midnight power-sharing deal between Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli to form a new 'national consensus government' to replace the current Prachanda-led coalition.
Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives (HoR), currently holds 89 seats, while CPN-UML has 78 seats.
Together, their combined strength of 167 seats surpasses the 138-seat majority required in the 275-member HoR. Deuba, 78, and Oli, 72, have agreed to rotate the Prime Ministerial position for the remainder of the parliamentary term.
Meanwhile, efforts to preserve the existing coalition between Prachanda and CPN-UML chief Oli have failed, according to Maoist sources.
Prachanda has accused his opponents of conspiring to topple the government and destabilise the country at a time when the government is focused on combating corruption and promoting good governance.
Under constitutional provisions, the Prime Minister has 30 days to seek a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, providing Prachanda with some time for political maneuvering.
"We will engage in discussions with various parties, including the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Nepali Congress, and CPN-UML, to save the coalition," Prachanda stated.
Nepali Congress President Deuba briefed party officials about the agreement with CPN-UML during a meeting at his residence in Budhanilkantha on Tuesday morning, explaining that the leadership of the new government would alternate between the two parties.
The RSP, a key ruling coalition partner, has decided not to participate in the new alliance between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.
During a secretariat meeting on Tuesday, the party also resolved to withdraw from the current government. The RSP holds 21 seats in the House of Representatives.
Nepal has experienced 13 governments in the last 16 years, underscoring the fragile nature of the country's political landscape. The current political turmoil adds to this history of instability.
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