Nepal’s Political Shake-Up: KP Sharma Oli and Sher Bahadur Deuba to Lead New Government
The Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), led by KP Sharma Oli, has given Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ a 24-hour ultimatum to resign. This decision was made during a secretariat meeting on Monday evening.
Yogesh Bhattarai, Secretary of CPN-UML, stated, “The party secretariat meeting held at the party office has decided to call on the Prime Minister to step down from the post within 24 hours, paving the way for the formation of a new government.” The new government will be formed according to an agreement between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, as per Clause 76 (2) of the Nepal constitution.
The UML and Congress have agreed that KP Sharma Oli will lead a ‘national consensus’ government for a year and a half, followed by ex-PM Sher Bahadur Deuba for the remaining term. However, Prime Minister Dahal has expressed reluctance to resign immediately and will face a trust vote in Parliament within 30 days.
A committee led by former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha has been formed to suggest amendments to the election procedures and the constitution. The largest and second-largest parties in the parliament have also drafted a constitutional amendment agreement, stating that the Vice President will be made the chairman of the National Assembly.
Leaders from the Congress and the UML have informed President Ram Chandra Paudel about the change in coalition and the activation of Section 76 (2) to form a new government if the incumbent Prime Minister fails to win the vote of confidence.
Prime Minister Dahal, who came to power after the 2022 General Elections, has already tested the floor of parliament four times. On March 4, Dahal revived a coalition with the CPN-UML, catching the largest coalition partner, NC, off guard. The Nepali Congress formally retracted support to the Dahal government, activating Article 100 (2), which requires the Prime Minister to secure 138 votes to stay in power.