Formation of alternative govt not possible, says Nepali Congress

KP Sharma Oli could be reappointed Nepal PM, after Nepali Congress backed out of forming a new government (AFP)

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s main Opposition party Nepali Congress (NC), which earlier decided to form a new government under its leadership, on Thursday said the formation of an alternative government is not possible.
The development is likely to pave the way for the reappointment of K P Sharma Oli as prime minister. Oli had lost a crucial trust vote on Monday.
The Nepali Congress (NC) under the leadership of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday had decided to stake a claim for the prime minister’s post.
A meeting of current and former office bearers of Nepali Congress (NC) held at Deuba’s residence on Thursday concluded that the sharp division within the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) whether to support the NC-led government had made the formation of an alternative government impossible, MyRepublica news portal reported.
The decision of the Mahanta Thakur and Rajendra Mahato-led faction of the JSP has made it difficult for the NC to garner requisite majority seats in parliament.
A Standing Committee meeting of the Maoist Centre held at the party’s headquarters in Parisdanda on Thursday also concluded that the formation of an alternative government was not possible, the report said. The Maoist Centre had earlier decided to support the formation of a NC-led coalition government.
The NC had earlier planned to form a new government with the support of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), JSP and the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led faction of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal UML (Unified Marxist–Leninist).
The plan failed to materialise as there was an agreement between chairman Oli and rival faction leader Nepal within the UML and Upendra Yadav and Baburam Bhattarai-led faction of the JSP failed to secure a majority in the party.
Oli and Nepal had held a four-hour-long meeting to resolve their differences amid the threat of lawmakers close to the Nepal-led faction in the party to resign en masse if their demands were not met. The two leaders have agreed to form a 10-member task force to settle the differences seen in the party.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had asked the Opposition parties to come up with the support of majority lawmakers to form a new government by 9 pm Thursday.
Since the opposition parties are now unable to garner the requisite majority seats in parliament, the President is likely to reappoint Oli as the new prime minister in his capacity as the leader of the single largest party in the parliament, the report said.
Oli’s Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has 121 seats in Parliament.
However, if Oli is appointed under the Constitution, he also needs to win the vote of confidence within 30 days from the date of the appointment.
Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling NCP.
Oli’s move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
In February, the apex court reinstated the dissolved House, in a setback to Oli who was preparing for snap polls.
Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had earlier served as the country’s prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 during which Kathmandu’s ties with New Delhi had strained.