Nepal Political Crisis: I will become the Prime Minister… Due to Prachanda’s desire, political struggle in Nepal, threat to Deuba’s chair

There is a political battle going on in Nepal to get the post of Prime Minister. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, President of CPN-Maoist Center met the Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba and expressed his desire to become the next Prime Minister of the country. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed ways to take the ruling coalition forward and the formation of a new government. On the other hand, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is trying to break the allies of the ruling coalition. His effort is to break the parties involved in the government and merge them into his faction. Meanwhile, a lot of importance is being given to the meeting between Oli and Deuba.

Nepali President may soon invite
Saturday’s meeting assumes significance as President Vidya Devi Bhandari is considering inviting political parties to stake claim to form the government. President Bhandari’s press specialist Tika Dhakal told The Kathmandu Post newspaper that the president has not yet fixed any specific day. However, she will very soon call political parties to stake claim.

138 MPs needed for majority
A party or coalition needs 138 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives for a clear majority. But no party has sufficient number of seats to form the government. The ruling coalition is nearing the majority mark in the seat house, but it is yet to be decided who will lead the cabinet.

Nepali Congress alliance claims majority

The Nepali Congress (NC), led by Deuba, emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the elections held in November. Other partners of the ruling coalition have together secured 47 seats. These include the CPN-Maoist Center (32), the CPN-Unified Socialist (10), the Democratic Socialist Party (4) and one member of the National People’s Front. The newly formed Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has also offered support to the five-party coalition led by the Nepali Congress in government formation. In the election held on 20 November, the RSP emerged as the fourth largest party with 20 seats.

Prachanda sought Deuba’s support for the post of PM
According to the newspaper, Nepali Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said that Prachanda formally sought the Nepali Congress’s support to become prime minister for the first two and a half years of his five-year term in a meeting with Prime Minister Deuba. While forming the alliance ahead of the November 20 elections in Nepal, Deuba and Prachanda reportedly entered into an agreement to lead the government by turns. Mahat said it would be more natural if the Nepali Congress, which emerged as the largest party in the elections, leads the government.

What did Prachanda’s party say
When asked whether Prachanda has sought Deuba’s support to become the new prime minister, CPN-Maoist Center leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said he sought to know from Deuba how he would do so,want to move forward. To this, Deuba replied that all the alliance partners should decide within their respective organizations.

Prachanda has declared himself as the prime ministerial candidate
Prachanda has been projecting himself in public forums as a contender for the executive head long before the elections. A source close to the prime minister told The Kathmandu Post newspaper that Deuba, who is in the running for a sixth term, did not give a definite answer to Prachanda. Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML and its allies have 104 members in the House. A few days back, Prachanda had said that his party held the key to forming the next government.