Nepal PM to reshuffle Cabinet after three allies pull out: Top developments so far

What led to the withdrawal of the parties

The CPN-UML withdrew its support to the “Prachanda”-led government following a rift over backing the Nepali Congress’ candidate Ram Chandra Paudel for the presidential poll scheduled for March 9.

“As Prime Minister Prachanda violated the December 25 agreement while forming the seven-party coalition government and betrayed the Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), the party took the decision to leave the government,” Rijal said.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) also quit the government and withdrew its ministers from the government on Sunday. Among the RPP ministers who resigned were Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Rajendra Lingden, Urban Development Minister Bikram Pandey, and Law Minister Dhruba Bahadur. The party said it would keep supporting the government from the outside.

On Monday, all eight UML ministers tendered their resignations to the prime minister, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudyal and Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Poudyal.

This led to the disintegration of the seven-party ruling coalition.

Aftermath

In an attempt to keep the new eight-party coalition together, PM Prachanda is now preparing to reshuffle his Cabinet to fill as many as 16 ministries that fell vacant.

The new eight-party Prachanda-led alliance includes the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Janta Samajwadi Party, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, and Rastriya Janamorcha.

How do the numbers in the Parliament add up?

In the 275-member House, the UML has 79 lawmakers while CPN (Maoist Center) has 32. CPN (Unified Socialist) and RSP have 10 and 20 members, respectively. Janamat Party has 6 members, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party 4, and Nagarik Unmukti Party 3 members in the Parliament.

Prachanda needs 138 votes in Parliament to continue as the prime minister.

With the three major parties, NC (89), CPN-Maoist Centre (32) and RSP (20), Prachanda has the support of at least 141 lawmakers.

Way ahead

As two major parties in the ruling coalition withdrew their support, the country’s Constitution mandates Prachanda’s government to seek a vote of confidence.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have written to all the parties in Parliament seeking votes for their respective candidates — Paudel and Subhash Nemwang — for the presidential election.

Will Prachanda’s new coalition government survive?

“With the support from Nepali Congress, which commands 89 seats in the House of Representatives and other parties, the Prachanda-led government will survive even though it is required to seek a fresh vote of confidence,” senior journalist and editor of Nagarik daily Gunaraj Luitel told PTI.

“The Prachanda-led government is required to seek a vote of confidence in the Parliament after the major ruling alliance CPN-UML withdrew its support,” said senior Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh. “However, the government led by Prachanda will have no difficulty surviving the vote with the support from Nepali Congress and other political parties,” he added.

With inputs from agencies