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Updated May 13th, 2021 at 21:07 IST

KP Sharma Oli to remain Nepal's PM as opposition fails to prove majority in Parliament

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to retain his premiership in the Himalayan country despite losing the vote of confidence in the Parliament

Reported by: Pritesh Kamath
Oli
IMAGE: @GAMKNEPAL / ANI / TWITTER / AP | Image:self
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In an interesting development from Nepal on Friday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to retain his premiership in the Himalayan country despite losing the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on Monday. This surprising development comes as the opposition has failed to prove the majority in the Parliament. The main opposition party, the Nepali Congress (NC), which earlier decided to form a new government also submitted that it was incapable of securing a majority.

The Madhav Kumar Nepal-led faction of the ruling CPN-UML was the decisive kingmaker and the NC's plan to form the government did not come to fruition as the unity of the ruling CPN-UML couldn't be broken. The NC planned to form the government with other opposition parties and the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led faction of the CPN-UML - the ruling party in Nepal. However, Oli and Madhav Kumar Nepal decided to resolve their differences after a four-hour-long meeting, and the NC couldn't form a majority with the help of other opposition parties. Oli and Madhav Kumar have agreed to form a 10-member task force to settle the differences seen in the party even as the lawmakers close to the Nepal-led faction have threatened to resign en masse if their demands are not met.

PM Oli loses trust vote

In the 275-strong House, only 232 lawmakers were present during Monday's voting. PM Oli could garner just 93 votes way less than 136 that he needed to prove the House's majority. As many as 124 votes were cast against him and 15 lawmakers stated neutrally. As Oli's couldn't prove the majority on Monday, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had called on all parties to stake a claim to form a majority government. 

President Bidya Devi Bhandari had given three days (ending today) for the opposition parties to prove the majority. However, the President is likely to retain KP Oli as the Prime Minister as the opposition failed to prove the majority.

COVID-19 in Nepal

Nepal is experiencing its worst COVID-19 surge with acute shortages of health facilities and oxygen for patients. The Himalayan nation has seen its highest new cases and deaths for the past few days, on Tuesday recording 9,483 new cases and 225 deaths, a near-30-fold increase in infections in one month. According to Associated Press, several hospitals in Kathmandu have stopped taking in new patients, declaring they have run out of beds and oxygen for patients. Amid the political turmoil, PM KP Oli on Monday appealed to the UK and other developed nations to urgently provide his country with essential medical items, life-saving drugs and vaccines to combat the pandemic.

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Published May 13th, 2021 at 21:07 IST

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