In a significant political maneuver, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' secured a vote of confidence in Parliament on Wednesday. Amidst the ever-shifting alliances, Nepal has been grappling with political instability for a while. Prachanda, leading the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), garnered 157 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives, with his party being the third largest in the house.
During the voting held at the parliament building in Naya Baneshwor, Kathmandu, 268 MPs were present. 110 voted against Prachanda, while one MP abstained. Prachanda needed a minimum of 138 votes to win the confidence vote.
Third Confidence Victory in 18 Months
Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire announced, 'The Prime Minister has secured the vote of confidence.' The recent break from the Nepali Congress and the subsequent embrace of the CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) led to this pivotal vote in Wednesday’s session.
This marks the third time in 18 months that Prachanda has had to secure a confidence vote in the parliament. According to constitutional requirements, the Prime Minister must win a vote of confidence whenever an ally of the ruling coalition withdraws support.
Forms Alliance with Archenemy KP Sharma Oli
Following the Nepali Congress's departure from the House of Representatives (HoR), Prachanda had to prove a majority. Now, he has formed an alliance with the CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist), led by former PM KP Sharma Oli—a prominent critic of him. Prachanda assumed office for the third time on December 25, 2022.
