The four-month-old coalition government led by Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has plunged into a fresh crisis after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) — the fourth largest party in the House with 21 members — decided to withdraw its support to the government. However, the party said it would extend ‘constructive support’ to the government. With this, the coalition government has to seek yet another vote of confidence—the third since Prachanda assumed office on December 2 last year. The decision of the RSP, after holding a meeting of its MPs and other office-bearers, came as a rude shock to Prime Minister Prachanda, who hoped that the party would positively respond to his request to join the government. He had requested RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane to continue its support to the government in case it was not willing to be part of the government. It’s believed that the RSP leadership had demanded four berths in the 25-member council of ministers, including Dy PM’s post.
