KATHMANDU: The three-day deadline given by President Bidya Bhandari to form a new government is expiring today.
President Bhandari had given a three-day deadline to the opposition parties to form a new government after Prime Minister Oli failed to secure the vote of confidence on May 10.
The opposition parties have not been able to forge consensus on the formation of a new government when the given deadline is expiring at 9 pm today.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has intensified meetings with CPN (Maoist Center) and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) in a bid to form the new government but one faction of of the JSP has not lent support to Deuba.
Thakur-Mahato group of the JSP is not in favor of an alternative government. As many as 15 lawmakers of the JSP remained neutral even during the confidence motion tabled by Prime Minister Oli.
The Yadav-Bhattarai faction of the JSP is willing to form the new government.
JSP Chairman Mahanta Thakur and senior leader Rajendra Mahato have said they were not in favor of forming an alternative government.
They met President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday afternoon and said that the formation of an alternative government was not the way out to the current crisis.
Thakur and Mahato reached President’s Office, Shital Niwas, and urged President Bhandari not to accept the recommendation proposed by JSP leader Upendra Yadav on government formation.
Thakur and Mahato also told the President that Yadav being the second-ranked chairman, his proposal would not be acceptable.
The polarization of JSP, which has appeared a key player in the new power-sharing, has put the formation of the new government in a quandary.
The Nepal-Khanal group of the ruling CPN-UML is also decisive for the new government formation. As many as 28 lawmakers had boycotted the no-confidence motion on May 10.
The formation of a new government is possible even after the Nepal-Khanal faction tendered their resignations. Hence, the opposition alliance is waiting for the decisions of UML disgruntled faction and the JSP.
Out of incumbent 271 lawmakers, 136 are required to form a new government. The alliance of NC (61) and Maoist Center (49) requires at least 26 lawmakers out of 32 lawmakers of JSP to form a coalition government.
Oli likely to become PM again
As per Article 76 (2), a majority government has to be formed from two or more than two parties.
Prime Minister Oli, who tabled a confidence motion in the parliament after 38 months, failed to secure the vote of confidence on May 10.
Only 93 lawmakers voted for him while 124 votes had been cast against him.
It has been very difficult for the opposition parties to garner 136 lawmakers by today.
Under these circumstances, Oli, being the parliamentary party leader of the largest party in the parliament, is likely to become the Prime Minister against under Article 73 (3).
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