Nepal's PM Prachanda loses confidence vote, resigns after 19 months in office

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' lost a vote of confidence in parliament on Friday, leading to his resignation after 19 months in office. This happened because former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's CPN-UML party withdrew its support for his government.

CPN-UML chairman K P Sharma Oli, supported by the Nepali Congress, is set to become Nepal’s new Prime Minister. In the recent vote, only 63 of the 275 members of the House of Representatives backed Prachanda, while 194 opposed him and one abstained.

Prachanda's third term, which began in December 2022, faced frequent shifts in coalition partners. Although he managed to survive previous votes of confidence, he was unable to do so this time.

After Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire announced Prachanda’s defeat, members quickly began congratulating K P Sharma Oli.

Oli and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba are set to meet President Ram Chandra Poudel with signatures from MPs from both parties, to formally request that Oli be appointed as the new Prime Minister.

Together, their parties have the support of 167 members in the House. The new government will need to win a vote of confidence in Parliament within 30 days of its formation.

Story to be updated soon.