Nepal PM Prachanda To Seek Confidence Vote As Nepali Congress And CPN-UML Forge New Alliance

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has opted not to resign from his position despite an agreement between the country's largest parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, to form a new coalition government.

In a meeting with office-bearers of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) held in Baluwatar, PM Prachanda stated he would face a vote of confidence in Parliament rather than resign.

"The Prime Minister has decided to seek a vo0te of confidence," said Shah.

This development followed a midnight power-sharing agreement between Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and the CPN-UML to form a new 'national consensus government' to replace the Prachanda-led coalition government.

Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives (HoR), currently holds 89 seats, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. The combined strength of these two large parties is 167, which is sufficient for a majority of 138 seats in the 275-member HoR.

Quoting Prachanda, Shah stated that a conspiracy had been hatched to topple the coalition government and create instability in the country. "The conspiracy came at a time when the government was focused on ending corruption and introducing good governance," he said.

As per constitutional provisions, the Prime Minister will have 30 days to seek a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, giving Prachanda 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 was quoted as saying.

In the meantime, the RSP, one of the key ruling coalition partners, has decided not to participate in the new alliance between Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.

During a secretariat meeting on Tuesday, the party also decided to withdraw from the current government. The RSP currently holds 21 seats in the House of Representatives.