20 May, Kathmandu [Nepal], Pushpa Kamal Dahal, widely recognized as Prachanda, the prime minister of Nepal, is expected to pitch for a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives today. After taking office in December 2022, this will be his fourth vote of confidence in the span of eighteen months.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat has scheduled the motion for today, following the withdrawal of support by the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal (JSPN). The JSPN’s departure triggered the constitutional requirement under Article 100(2) of the Constitution of Nepal 2072, which mandates a Prime Minister to seek a Vote of Confidence if a coalition partner withdraws support.
Prachanda’s current coalition includes lawmakers from the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Maoist Center, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), CPN-Unified Socialist (CPN-US), and the Nagarik Unmukti Party, alongside JSPN, which had seven lawmakers. The CPN-UML contributes 77 lawmakers, the Maoist Center 32, the RSP 21, the CPN-US 10, and the Nagarik Unmukti Party four. Additionally, three independent lawmakers are backing Prachanda, providing him with a comfortable majority of 154 votes, well above the 138 needed to secure the confidence vote.
This political maneuver comes amidst significant turbulence. The opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has been obstructing the parliament’s budget session since May 10, demanding the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee to probe fraud allegations involving Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane. The fraud case involves allegations of Lamichhane’s misuse of authority and conspiracy with GB Rai, who is currently underground, in a cooperative fraud worth millions of rupees. Despite Lamichhane’s denial, evidence has emerged implicating him, and an investigative report has been submitted to the police.
Lamichhane defended himself in parliament on Sunday, accusing the opposition of political maneuvering. Following his address, the House Speaker adjourned the session despite NC lawmakers’ demands to question Lamichhane further. The opposition is expected to continue its disruption during today’s session.
Prachanda’s political journey has been marked by shifting alliances. He initially came to power by aligning with the CPN-UML, surprising the NC, with whom he had allied in the November 2022 elections. This coalition secured him an overwhelming vote of confidence on January 10, with 268 out of 270 parliamentarians in favor, the highest support in Nepal’s democratic history.
However, within three months, Prachanda shifted alliances again, leaving the CPN-UML to form a coalition with the NC. This move led to another successful vote of confidence on March 20, where he secured 172 votes out of the 262 lawmakers present.
Today’s vote of confidence is necessitated by the departure of JSPN, and Prachanda will present his proposal as per Rule 155 of the House of Representatives Regulations 2079 BS. The Speaker’s press advisor, Shekhar Adhikari, announced a Business Advisory Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the vote.
The federal parliament’s fourth session, which began on May 10, has already seen the presentation of the government’s annual policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2081/82 BS in a joint sitting of Parliament on May 28. Despite the ongoing political challenges, Prachanda is expected to maintain his majority and continue his tenure as Prime Minister.
The outcome of today’s vote of confidence will be crucial for Prachanda’s political stability and the government’s ability to move forward with its legislative agenda amidst a turbulent political environment.
