Leaders of ruling coalition discuss formation of govt

KATHMANDU: The top leaders of Nepal’s five-party ruling coalition on Monday met at PM Sher Bahadur Deuba’s official residence to review the general elections and discuss the formation of a new government.

Nepali Congress chief Deuba, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, senior vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha vice-chairperson Durga Paudel were among those who attended the meeting held at Baluwatar.

The five-party coalition has won 90 House of Representatives (HOR) seats out of 165 under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system.

During the joint meeting, the top leaders of the ruling alliance expressed the view that the election results have reconfirmed the need and relevance of the alliance.

“It is necessary to continue the present coalition to face the challenges before the country,” the alliance said in a statement issued after the first joint meeting post elections.

Senior Nepali Congress leader and former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh told the Press Trust of India that the meeting mainly dwelt on issues relating to power-sharing and formation of the government.

Deuba’s party has emerged as the single largest party by winning 57 seats as the counting of votes under the direct system concluded on Monday.

The CPN- (Maoist Centre) has won 18 seats, CPN (Unified Socialist) has won 10, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) has won four and Rastriya Janamorcha has won one seat.

Former PM K P Oli’s opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–leninist) has bagged 44 seats

Elections to the House of Representatives (HOR) and seven provincial assemblies were held on November 20 to end the prolonged political instability.