The newly appointed Prime Minister of Nepal, K P Sharma Oli, has won the vote of confidence in Parliament on Sunday, almost a week after his swearing-in to head a coalition government. Oli, who required 138 votes, garnered 188 votes, achieving a two-thirds majority in the 275-member parliament. Seventy-four lawmakers voted against him, and one member abstained.
Speaker of the HoR, Dev Raj Ghimire, announced his victory in the Lower House after the vote count. As the Parliament session began, PM Oli introduced the motion seeking a vote of confidence from the House.
According to PTI, the speaker allotted about 2 hours for HoR members and representatives from ruling and opposition parties to discuss the motion before giving him time to respond to the issues raised. The voting process began after the PM concluded his deliberations.
‘I Was Not And Will Not Get Involved In Corruption Neither Will Tolerate’: Oli
Addressing the issues raised by HoR members, Oli said, “I was not and will not get involved in corruption neither will tolerate if anyone practices so.” He said that the two larger parties “Nepali Congress and CPN-UML came together to maintain political stability, check corruption, and bring good governance.” “This coalition government will create a reliable eco-system for stability, development, and good governance,” asserted Oli.
According to the Kathmandu Post, the prime minister also expressed his commitment to making appropriate decisions concerning the misappropriation of cooperative funds, ensuring that those responsible for the fraud are brought to justice.
He stated that the current government’s goal is to eliminate the widespread disappointment among the citizens. “The government was established to instill enthusiasm in the citizens and steer the nation toward swift economic advancement,” he further remarked.
House of Representatives members belonging to the ruling alliance Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal were among those who voted in favour of Oli’s Vote of Confidence motion. Opposition parties such as CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Rashtriya Swotantra Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party voted against Oli during the floor test.
The veteran Communist leader was sworn in last Monday as the Himalayan nation’s PM for the 4th time, along with 21 other Cabinet members. As per the Constitution of Nepal, Oli was required to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of appointment.
The Chairman of CPN-UML, Nepal’s largest communist party, has been appointed as the prime minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel. He will lead a coalition government that includes the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in Parliament, and other smaller parties. Oli takes over from Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda,’ following the latter’s loss of a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on July 12.
Nepal has experienced frequent political turmoil, having seen 14 governments in the past 16 years since the introduction of the Republican system.
