Nepal PM quits, triggers fresh crisis
Kathmandu, July 24: Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister K.P. Oli resigned on Sunday just before a no-confidence vote which he termed as a conspiracy by “foreign elements” to turn the country into a “laboratory” and obstruct the implementation of the new Constitution, triggering a fresh political turmoil.
Oli, who became prime minister last October heading Nepal’s eighth government in the past 10 years, has been facing a no-trust motion after the Maoists withdrew support from the coalition government. “I have decided to open the road to elect a new prime minister in this parliament and presented my resignation to the president,” 64-yearold Oli told lawmakers who were set to vote on the no-confidence motion.
Oli tendered his resignation after two key ruling alliance partners — Madhesi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic and Rastriya Prajatantra Party — decided to support the no-confidence motion tabled against him by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Prachanda.
They had accused Oli of not honouring his past commitments. Maoist chief Prachanda, who is the favourite to replace Oli, on Friday had accused the Prime Minister of being ego-centric and self-centered.
Oli, however, dismissed all the allegations levelled against him while responding to the no-trust motion. He also backed dialogue to address grievances of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who are opposed to the country’s new Constitution and had launched protests that led to the blockade of key trading points with India. — PTI