Prachanda to quit after key ally deserts with alternative deal

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KP Oli & Sher Bahadur Deuba deal to force Prachanda to quit soon

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, July 4: Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will hold a key meeting on Thursday to decide on his next course of actions. Ouster of Prachanda is now certain after a key ally, the CPN-UML, exited the national government in Kathmandu.

Prachanda is now left with the support of just 80 members in the House of Representatives. The UML with 77 members was the largest constituent of the ruling alliance.

Kathmandu-based media said on Thursday that Prachanda has taken the political development as just another phase of life. Prachand has a 30-day time span to prove his majority in the House.

Former Prime Ministers K. P. Sharma Oli and Sher Bahadur Deuba struck a deal to form a coalition government. Both will be the prime minister of Nepal in rotation.

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The Nepali parliament has a total strength of 275 members. Prachanda is also heading a coalition government. Nepal is mired into political instability since the abolition of monarchy.

The Kathmandu Post in a report quoted a CPM-Maoist leader, saying that “Prachanda will resign after the passage of the Budget”. The Nepalese daily quoted Dahal, saying: “We worked together with great spirit but this time, things turned out like this. But we should work together in the future.”

Dahal was speaking after the key alliance partner UML quit his government. Oli will first become the prime minister followed by Deuba. Oli’s term will be for one and a half years. Afterwards, Deuba will take the charge.

Oli heads the UML while Deuba leads the Nepali Congress. With mushrooming of political parties, the national elections in Nepal as a routine throw fractured mandates.

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Nepali media in their reports claimed that both the UML and the Nepali Congress have even distributed portfolios of the ministers after their government is formed.

The Nepali Congress and the UML will have 10 and nine ministerial portfolios respectively. Both the former prime ministers have claimed that they would form a national consensus government.

Oli and Deuba were known to be political rivals in Nepal politics. Oli had joined hands with Prachanda to keep Deuba out of power after the national elections.

The coming together of the two largest political parties of Nepal is another experiment in the Himalayan nation where political instability is a norm.

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