Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML party on Monday decided to withdraw its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”- led government, citing changes in the political equation, dealing a jolt to the fragile two-month-old ruling coalition in the country.
The prime reason for the break-up of the alliance between Prachanda and Oli was because the Maoist leader decided to support senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel for the President’s post.
Paudel is from the Nepali Congress, an opposition party, and from outside the ruling alliance. Nepal’s Presidential election will be held on March 9.
The Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), made the formal announcement after top leaders of the party met on Monday, according to The Kathmandu Post newspaper.
“We decided to withdraw from the government after the Nepal Prime Minister started working in a different fashion and due to the changed political equation in the run-up to the presidential election,” Bishnu Prasad Paudel, UML’s vice-chairman said.
The exit of CPN-UML may not immediately affect the Prachanda-led government as the Nepali Congress (NC) has 89 lawmakers in Parliament.
In the 275-member House, the UML has 79 lawmakers.
Similarly, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rashtriya Swatantra Party have 32, 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 only 138 votes in parliament to continue his term as the prime minister.
Paudel claimed Prime Minister Prachanda of using pressure tactics on the UML ministers to quit the government, which forced them to withdraw support, according to My Republica newspaper.
He alleged that Prime Minister Dahal demonstrated immaturity by stopping Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal, who was about to visit Geneva, at the eleventh hour.
Paudyal, who is from the UML party, was scheduled to fly to Geneva to attend a high-level session of the UN Human Rights Council.
However, Prime Minister Prachanda asked her to cancel the visit.
