Nepal PM loses vote of confidence in Parliament

New Delhi: Pushpa Kamal Dahal, well known as Prachanda, was ousted from office as prime minister of Nepal after losing a vote of confidence. His motion to establish trust was supported by 63 votes, while 194 votes were cast against him. Since he took office one and a half years ago, he sought four votes of confidence. Prachanda announced on July 2nd that he would request one more vote of trust.

This came about as a result of a midnight power-sharing agreement reached between two former Prime Ministers Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) chairman and former PM KP Sharma Oli.

Deuba, who is 78 years old, and Oli, who is 72 years old, decided to alternate as prime ministers for the duration of the Parliament. In the 275-member House of Representatives, the Nepali Congress holds 89 seats, making it the largest party. The CPN-UML holds 78 seats, while the Prachandas party has 32 seats, The New Indian Express reported.

The combined total of Deuba and Oli's parties is 167 seats, above the number of majority seats required to establish a government. Nepal has had thirteen different governments in the last sixteen years, which is an indicator of political instability in the country.

Deuba, 78, and Oli, 72, decided to share the Prime Minister's position on a rotating basis for the remainder of the Parliament's tenure.

Following Prachanda's opening of charges pertaining to political leaders' corruption, tensions between the coalition partners started to rise. According to the July 2nd midnight deal, the Nepali Congress will lead the provincial governments of Bagmati, Gandaki, and Sudurpaschim provinces, while the CPN-UML would lead the provinces of Koshi, Lumbini, and Karnali.