Kathmandu: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) leader KP Sharma Oli has staked his claim to become the Prime Minister of Nepal again after incumbent PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' stepped down after losing a vote of confidence in the Parliament, his fifth trust vote amid political instability in the Himalayan nation. Oli on Friday staked his claim to lead a new majority government before President Ramchandra Paudel.
Oli had the support of 165 lawmakers, including 77 from his party and 88 from the Nepali Congress. However, fringe parties, including the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), JSP-Nepal, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party are in favour of the Congress-UML coalition government, but Oli's claim showed the support of his party and NC only.
“We have staked a claim for the new government before the President. Now, it’s up to him to decide when to make the appointment,” said Ramesh Lekhak, Nepali Congress chief whip. Oli is now expected to become the Nepali PM for the fourth time with support from the Nepali Congress, having previously served in the position from 2015-2016 and 2018-2021.
The NC has 89 seats in Nepal's House of Representatives, while CPN-UML has 78. Their combined strength of 167 is much more than the 138 required for a majority in the lower house. On the other hand, the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Prachanda only had 32 seats in the House. NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has already endorsed Oli as the next prime minister as per the 7-point deal both parties agreed upon on Monday.
Prachanda loses vote of confidence
'Prachanda' on Friday lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament, a widely expected result that forced him to resign in his 19 months of power and pave the way for the NC-UML coalition government. Prachanda called for a fifth vote of confidence after the Oli-led party. withdrew its support for his government and struck a late-night coalition deal with the Nepali Congress.
Prachanda received just 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives when he needed 138 votes to secure the vote of trust. There were 194 votes against Dahal's motion of confidence in the Parliament, as several parties issued a whip to their lawmakers to stand against the confidence motion.
The 69-year-old leader had been leading a shaky governing coalition since becoming prime minister in December 2022 following an inconclusive election where his party finished third, but he managed to form a new alliance and became the PM. He had to seek a trust vote four times in the Parliament due to disagreements within his coalition powers. Prachanda's support has notably declined in successive confidence votes.
Prachanda's problems widened after the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML struck a midnight coalition deal to form a new 'national consensus government' in Nepal that was aimed at ousting Prachanda from power. Oli and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba met to lay the ground for a potential new political alliance between the two parties, following which Oli's CPN-UML ended its association with the Prachanda-led government barely four months after extending support to it.
Under the agreement, Oli will lead a new ‘national consensus government' for a year and a half. Deuba will be the prime minister for the remaining term till the next election. Under Oli's tenure, the CPN-UML will take control of ministries, including the Prime Minister's position and the Finance Ministry. Similarly, the Nepali Congress will oversee ten ministries, including the Home Ministry.
What Oli's tenure means for India?
Oli is known for his pro-Beijing stance and made a bombshell claim in 2019 that the areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura are part of the Nepalese territory, creating a major row with India. Nepal's upper house of the Parliament unanimously passed the Constitution amendment bill in May 2020 which included the country's new political map in its national emblem.
The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand in May 2020. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory. India has sternly asked Nepal not to resort to any "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims.
The bilateral exchanges that had stalled due to the bitter boundary dispute were reset in the later part of 2020 with a series of high-level visits, as New Delhi emphasised that it sees itself as the Himalayan nation's "foremost friend" and development partner. This began with former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's maiden visit in November 2020, where he met ex-Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli.
(with inputs from agencies)
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