NC-led coalition collapses in a dramatic development in 17 months

Kathmandu, Dec. 25

Dramatic political developments of a few hours have changed the entire political course of Nepal, preventing  the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR), from gaining any political post, not only in the centre but also in all seven provinces.

The ruling coalition of five parties – NC, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialists), Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha-- that stayed strong until the elections crumbled within a matter of a day as the largest partners in the coalition NC and CPN (MC) could not reach an agreement as to who should lead the government in the first  term of two years

Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had reached Baluwatar early morning on Sunday to finalise the future course of the alliance by deciding the name of the  new prime minister before the deadline set by the President Bidya Devi Bhandari to submit a letter of a member of the House of Representatives showing that he would garner majority votes to become the PM as per the Article 76(2) of the Constitution of Nepal was to expire.

According to the sources, Prachanda wanted to lead the government in the first term of  two years and leave the post to  NC's President Sher Bahadur Deuba, leaving the posts of the President and Speaker of the HoR to the latter. But as Deuba wanted to lead the government himself in the first term and intended to keep the post of the president for NC itself, it only irked Prachanda. Later Prachanda reached Balkot to meet CPN (UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli, and it ultimately altered the political scenario.   

An extensive meeting of the leaders from the parties including CPN (UML), CPN (MC), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janamat Party and Janata Samajwati Party-Nepal at Oli’s Balkot residence decided to form the government under the leadership of Prachanda.

Later in the afternoon, the new alliance recommended Prachanda's name as the Prime Minister claiming that the majority members of the House supported him. The application included the signatures of Oli, Prachanda, Swatantra Party's chairman Rabi Lamichhane, Janamat Party's chairman Chandra Kanta Raut, Nagarik Unmukti Party's chair Ranjita Shrestha, Janta Samajwadi Party-Nepal’s president, Upendra Yadav, and three independent parliamentarians – Prabhu Shah, Kiran Kumar Shah, and Dr. Amaresh Kumar Singh.

The CPN (UML) has contributed 78 members to the new ruling coalition, CPN (MC) 32 members, Swatantra Party 20 members, RPP 14, JSP 12, Janamat Party six and Nagarik Unmukti Party four members.

According to the sources from UML and MC, the UML will get the posts of the President and the Speaker of the HoR. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 December 2022.