Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a vote of confidence in parliament on Friday after the largest party in his coalition government withdrew its support, forcing him to step down from office after 19 months in power.
Dahal failed to secure the support of more than half the members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, which was necessary to win the vote.This development came after his main ally in government, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), pulled out their support last week and formed a new alliance with the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the country.
The new alliance has agreed that Khadga Prasad Oli, the leader of the Communist Party, will become the new prime minister.
Dahal had been leading a fragile governing coalition since becoming prime minister in December 2022 following an inconclusive election where his party finished third. Despite this, he managed to form a new alliance and take on the role of prime minister.
Throughout his tenure, Dahal had to seek a vote of confidence in parliament five times due to disagreements among his coalition partners. This instability marked his third stint as prime minister since his Maoist group ended an armed revolt and joined mainstream politics in 2006.
Dahal, also known as Prachanda, or the “fierce one,” led a violent Maoist communist insurgency from 1996 to 2006. The conflict resulted in over 17,000 deaths and many unresolved disappearances. The Maoists abandoned their armed revolt in 2006, joined a UN-assisted peace process, and entered mainstream politics. Dahal’s party secured the most parliamentary seats in 2008, leading to his first term as prime minister, which ended after a year due to differences with the president.
Dahal failed to secure the support of more than half the members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, which was necessary to win the vote.This development came after his main ally in government, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), pulled out their support last week and formed a new alliance with the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the country.
The new alliance has agreed that Khadga Prasad Oli, the leader of the Communist Party, will become the new prime minister.
Dahal had been leading a fragile governing coalition since becoming prime minister in December 2022 following an inconclusive election where his party finished third. Despite this, he managed to form a new alliance and take on the role of prime minister.
Throughout his tenure, Dahal had to seek a vote of confidence in parliament five times due to disagreements among his coalition partners. This instability marked his third stint as prime minister since his Maoist group ended an armed revolt and joined mainstream politics in 2006.
Dahal, also known as Prachanda, or the “fierce one,” led a violent Maoist communist insurgency from 1996 to 2006. The conflict resulted in over 17,000 deaths and many unresolved disappearances. The Maoists abandoned their armed revolt in 2006, joined a UN-assisted peace process, and entered mainstream politics. Dahal’s party secured the most parliamentary seats in 2008, leading to his first term as prime minister, which ended after a year due to differences with the president.