Fate of Nepal’s govt to be decided today

KATHMANDU: The fate of the ninemonth-old KP Sharma Oli government in Nepal will be decided on Sunday when lawmakers vote on the no-trust-motion tabled against him by Maoists and Nepali Congress.

Debate on the motion began on Friday evening and will continue for the next two days. Prime Minister Oli would address the House on Sunday before the voting takes place.

With former ally Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, the third biggest party in parliament, leaving the ruling coalition to join hands with opposition Nepali Congress, the largest party, Oli’s fate seems sealed.

“We brought the motion against the Prime Minister as he did nothing to fulfil agreements and work towards forging national unity and consensus,” CPN-MC chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda told the House.

Moving the motion, the Maoist leader accused Oli of being selfcentred and egocentric and said a new government is needed to address demands of Madhesis and other minority groups and also to implement the constitution. Prachanda, who had become Prime Minister in 2008 after the end of the civil war, is expected to return to the same post after a gap of nine years.

As per a deal between CPN-MC and NC, Prachanda will head the government for nine months and will be succeeded by NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba till the next general elections.

Speaking on the motion, senior NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi said his party decided to remove the government as Oli wasn’t serious about addressing the demands of Madhes-based parties.

Parties from the Madhes region bordering India have been demanding changes including fresh demarcation of state boundaries in the new constitution.