KATHMANDU, March 21: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced to give full shape to the cabinet within the next four days as he won a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday.
Talking to media persons after securing the trust votes in the parliament, Prime Minister Dahal said he will initiate talks with the parties that supported him to give full shape to the cabinet from Tuesday. "I have thought of settling the issue of cabinet expansion within two to four days by holding discussions with the parties with whom the new alliance has been formed or agreement has been reached and expedite the works of the government," he said.
Currently, Prime Minister Dahal heads a seven-member cabinet including a state minister. Earlier, all the ministers belonging to CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party decided to quit the government en masse.
Sources close to Prime Minister Dahal said Nepali Congress, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party are keen to become part of the government. Prime Minister Dahal plans to hold negotiations with these parties and give full shape to the cabinet.
Parliament to give three days to discuss no-trust motion
Prime Minister Dahal said that the votes he received in the parliament was enough and that the government will now function smoothly.
Dahal received the vote of confidence for the second time after he was first appointed as the prime minister on December 25, 2022. He was under constitutional obligation to take the vote of confidence from parliament after coalition partners including CPN-UML and RPP withdrew their support to the government.
Prime Minister Dahal received 172 votes with the support of eight political parties in parliament including the largest party, Nepali Congress. A total of 172 votes were cast in favor of the prime minister and 89 against him, while one lawmaker abstained from voting. Altogether 262 MPs were present during the HoR meeting on Monday.
The prime minister received votes from his party CPN (Maoist Center), Nepali Congress, Rastriya Swatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, independent parliamentarians Prabhu Shah, Amresh Kumar Singh and Yogendra Mandal.
Lawmakers belonging to CPN-UML and RPP voted against Prime Minister Dahal while Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party lawmakers remained neutral.
There is a constitutional provision that the lawmaker who gets 50 percent of the number of seats in the House of Representatives can be the prime minister. PM Dahal needed at least 138 votes from among 275 MPs.
After becoming prime minister on December 25 with the support of parties including UML, Dahal received a vote of confidence on January 10 with an overwhelming 268 votes.
He was supported by his party CPN Maoist Center, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Samajwadi Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party, CPN Unified Socialist, Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, independent MPs Prabhu Shah, Amresh Kumar Singh and Yogendra Mandal. Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party abstained from voting.
