Cracks in alliance, Nepal govt faces crisis

The seven-month-old Nepal government led by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Wednesday faced a crisis after cracks developed in the ruling alliance with the UCPN-Maoist deciding to form a national unity government under the leadership of party supremo Prachanda.

A meeting of the high-level body of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN-Maoist) exerted pressure on the party’s leadership to make efforts to form a national unity government under the leadership of Mr Prachanda and asked the Nepali Congress, Madhesi parties and other fringe parties to join the new government.

Mr Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009.

The move by Mr Prachanda’s party has threatened the seven-month-old coalition government led by CPN-UML chairman Oli.

Although the Maoists have not yet officially announced the withdrawal of support from the Oli-led coalition but next meeting of the party standing committee scheduled on Thursday is likely to take a decision in this regard, said party insiders. However, senior UCPN-Maoist leader Dinanath Sharma talking to PTI said that though the party has decided to form a national unity government, it has not yet decided who should lead the new government.

Main Opposition Nepali Congress is also not happy with the working style of the Oli-led government.

Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has returned from a week-long personal visit to India last week, said that the government is unilaterally making all political appointments in the key posts sidelining the main opposition.

The Nepali Congress has also reached out to the Maoists and Madhesi parties in a bid to find an alternative to the coalition government.

If the rift between ruling alliance widens, the Oli government might be prevented from presenting the budget later this month.

The agitating Madhesi parties are also not happy with the coalition led by Mr Oli as the government has turned deaf ears towards the demands of the Madhesi parties, that had launched six-month-long agitation in which more than 50 people were killed.