Nepali Congress Initiates Moves To Topple Prime Minister KP Oli, Form Government

Nepali Congress, the main Opposition in Nepal, has initiated moves to topple Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and form an alternative government under its leadership with the support of the CPN-Maoist Centre and other parties.

The Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress (NC) on Saturday decided to take the initiative to form a new government under its leadership, according to the party's senior leader Prakash Man Singh.

The NC will ask Prime Minister KP Oli to step down and allow the formation of a new government, said Mr Singh.

If he does not resign, the NC will move a no-trust motion against him in the House of Representatives and take the initiative to form a new government under its leadership to save the democratic achievements of the past, he added.

There is a possibility of regression threatening the democratic republic system hard earned by the people through various movements, as Prime Minister Oli's unconstitutional move has posed a threat to democracy, he added.

"Being the main opposition and also a key partner of framing the Constitution of Nepal in 2015, it is our responsibility to protect democracy," he said.

Prime Minister Oli's dissolution of the House of Representatives in December triggered a political crisis in Nepal. However, in a landmark ruling, the top court in February reinstated the lower house of Parliament.

The political scenario in the country worsened after the Supreme Court last month nullified CPN-MC's merger with CPN-UML. The two parties had merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party following the victory of their alliance in the 2017 general elections.

"We will hold talks with all pro-democracy parties before forming a new government," Mr Singh told news agency PTI.

Informed sources said that a faction of the ruling CPN-UML, Janata Samajwadi Party and CPN-Maoist Centre will also join the move if Nepali Congress takes initiatives to form a new government under its leadership.

Prime Minster KP Oli-led government will lose majority in the lower house if CPN-Maoist Centre led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" withdraws its support, according to party sources.

On Saturday, Prachanda said that the country's politics had taken a new turn after the NC decided to seek PM Oli's resignation and take initiative to form the next government under its leadership.

"I am going to intensify talks with political parties and am hopeful that a new government will be formed and there will be a new course of events," he said at a programme.

Addressing the participants of the program, Prachanda said a new government will soon be formed and a new political atmosphere will be created.

A senior leader of CPN-Maoist Centre has said that the Maoist party will withdraw its support to the Oli government that will pave way for forming an alternative government under the leadership of the Nepali Congress.

Meanwhile, the Standing Committee meeting of the Maoist party which was scheduled to take place on Sunday has been postponed as most of its members are outside Kathmandu.

During the next Standing Committee meeting of the party a decision is likely to be taken to withdraw support from the Oli government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)