PM Dahal to seek vote of confidence in parliament after Presidential poll

Kathmandu: With major constituents of the ruling coalition pulling out of the government and withdrawing their support, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will be seeking a vote of confidence, second in less than three months, after the presidential poll slated on March 9.

Hit Raj Pandey, Chief Whip of the Maoist centre Parliamentary party, said PM Dahal will seek the vote of confidence after the presidential poll is over. He has however, not indicated the date, nor clarified whether it will be before or after the poll for Vice President which will take place on March 17.

PM Dahal, in fact, will be setting a record by facing two ‘vote of confidences’ in less than three months given the mandatory provision of the constitution that withdrawal of support by any government constituent formed under article other than 76 (1) will have to seek a vote of confidence, although the constitution prohibits any ‘no-confidence motion’ being tabled in the House at least during its first two years.

Although Dahal had secured a near unanimous support–268 out of 270 present in parliament—within a week of his forming the government on December 26, withdrawal of support by two coalition partners, pro-monarchy Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist has compelled the Prime Minister to secure the House confidence vote yet again.