Nepal Faces Political Shift: KP Sharma Oli Set for Third Term as Prime Minister

Nepal Faces Political Shift: KP Sharma Oli Set for Third Term as Prime Minister

Nepal Faces Political Shift: Nepal is set for a leadership shift as KP Sharma Oli, previously part of Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”‘s coalition government, is poised to assume the role of Prime Minister for the third time. The exact timing of Oli’s swearing-in to establish the new government, however, remains uncertain.

Former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted his claim to form a new government, presenting the support of 166 Members of Parliament to the President after Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” lost a vote of confidence in Parliament. This backing includes 78 MPs from Oli’s UML party and 88 MPs from the Nepali Congress.

Since Nepal abolished its 239-year-old monarchy in 2008, the country has experienced considerable political instability, witnessing 14 different governments in the past 15 years. If KP Sharma Oli succeeds in forming a new government, it will mark his third term as Prime Minister.

Until recently, KP Sharma Oli was a member of the government coalition alongside Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”‘s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center). Reports indicate that Oli had extended his support to “Prachanda” as early as March. However, following the withdrawal of the Nepali Congress from the alliance with “Prachanda”‘s party, they have opted to join KP Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) in forming the new government.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” failed to secure enough votes of confidence in Parliament, leading to his defeat in the trust vote. To remain in power, Dahal needed at least 138 votes out of 275 total members, but only 63 MPs voted in his favor out of the 258 present. Conversely, 194 MPs voted against him, while one abstained from voting.

During his third term as Prime Minister, Dahal changed his main coalition partner three times and faced five confidence votes in Parliament. He began his third term in December 2022 but lost the trust vote recently, resulting in his removal from office.