On Saturday, top political leaders in Nepal announced that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ would not need to seek another vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, despite a party in the ruling coalition withdrawing its support for the government.
The decision was made during a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar and attended by leaders of the five-party alliance, including Prachanda himself, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Unified Socialist president Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Janata Samajwadi Party president Upendra Yadav.
Hitraj Pandey, the chief whip of the CPN-Maoist Centre, confirmed the decision, stating that the top leaders of the ruling coalition had agreed that Prachanda’s government had already won a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives and did not need to seek another.
The announcement comes after the Janata Samajwadi Party, one of the parties in the ruling coalition, withdrew its support for Prachanda’s government, citing dissatisfaction with the allocation of portfolios and failure to implement agreements made with the party.
Despite this setback, Prachanda’s government maintains a slim majority in the House of Representatives and has the support of other parties in the ruling coalition. The decision by the top leaders of the coalition to back Prachanda is seen as a sign of unity within the government and an attempt to prevent further political instability in Nepal.
Political instability has been a recurring problem in Nepal, with the country seeing frequent changes in government and periods of unrest. Prachanda’s government, which came to power in May 2021, has already faced several challenges, including protests over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and a border dispute with India.
The decision by the top leaders of the ruling coalition to support Prachanda’s government is seen as an attempt to stabilize the political situation in the country and avoid further instability. However, it remains to be seen how the withdrawal of support by the Janata Samajwadi Party will impact the functioning of the government and its ability to implement policies.
In recent years, Nepal has struggled with political instability and has seen several changes in government, including the fall of the monarchy in 2008 and the adoption of a new constitution in 2015. The country has also been hit hard by natural disasters, including the 2015 earthquake, which killed thousands of people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, Nepal has made significant progress in recent years, with improvements in education, health, and economic development. However, continued political stability is essential for the country to achieve its full potential and address the challenges it faces.