Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who is in trouble inside his own party, is likely to face tougher days ahead as the primary opposition, Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to seek his resignation and initiate the formation of a new government under its leadership.
The decisions were taken at a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the NC.
NC spokesperson Bishaw Prakash Sharma said the part has decided to seek Oli’s resignation as he has not taken any initiative of a way forward despite the House of Representatives, which he dissolved in December 2020, being restored.
Prime Minister Oli himself is in a difficult position inside his own party, Nepal Communist Party-UML.
A section of the party led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is forming parallel party structures within the UML after Oli suspended four senior leaders, including Nepal, for six months.
Oli accused Nepal and other leaders for being involved in anti-party activities and violating rules and norms.
After Oli dissolved the House December 20, 2020, a section of party leaders upped the ante against the Prime Minister and sought his resignation.
On February 23, the Supreme Court of Nepal reinstated the House but Oli refused to step down.
The apex court on March 7 dropped another bombshell invoking the 2018 party merger between Oli’s UML and Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s Nepal Communist Party-Maoist Center.
Nepal, who was earlier close with Prachanda, returned to his mother party but Oli refused to incorporate them for supporting Dahal when the party was united under the banner of Nepal Communist Party.
After Oli refused to welcome Nepal and his faction inside the old party, the Prime Minister’s
party has once again landed in fresh trouble.
After the Supreme Court split the Nepal Communist Party into two, the UML and Maoist Center, now, the Prachanda-led Maoist Center is also preparing to withdraw support lent to Oli in 2018 before the party unification.
If Maoist Center withdrew its support, Oli’s party will automatically reduce to a minority government.
In that case, either Oli has to take a vote of confidence or face a no-confidence motion.
Nepali Congress’s decision to seek Oli’s resignation is a welcome step and time has come to remove Oli, former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said on Saturday.
Time has come for other opposition parties to play their role, Bhattarai said, adding, today our foremost priority is to remove Oli.
Meanwhile, Oli said that he was also aware of what the opposition are doing.
“First withdraw your support to the government. Then I will resign,” he said, adding that this is not the first time that his resignation has been sought.
“I cannot resign to meet each and every demand.”
Meantime, the Nepali Congress’ decision to seek Oli’s resignation and unseat him, could create a new political equation in Nepal.
If three opposition parties, Nepali Congress, Maoist Center and Janata Samajbai Party come together, they will easily unseat Oli.
And party leaders have said that now time has come to expedite talks between the opposition to unseat Oli.
IANS