CPN-UML has urged more political parties to join the new ruling coalition.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has urged other parties to join the coalition after the party's 29th secretariat meeting held at its central office Chyasal on Friday.
The meeting between Maoist Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav held at Baluwatar Sunday night agreed to form a new ruling coalition. CPN (Unified Socialist) has also joined the coalition since then.
The previous coalition was formed around a year ago before the election for president after Dahal broke the then coalition with UML. NC, Maoist Center, JSP and Unified Socialist had then decided to revive the pre-election alliance.
Dahal had quit the pre-election alliance with NC and Unified Socialist on December 25, 2022 and became prime minister (PM) with support of CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party, RPP, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party after Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba refused to make him PM first.
Oli had assured NC that UML will not ally with Maoist Center at any cost and would instead ally with NC to form the new government to encourage Deuba to break the agreement to make Dahal PM first.
UML has 79 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), Maoist Center 32, RSP 21, JSP 12, and Unified Socialist 10 and they comfortably cross the 138 seats necessary to form the government. But the biggest party in the coalition is soliciting support from additional parties.
"We have also urged other political parties to support this new process," Pokharel said after the secretariat meeting on Friday.
The parties, however, do not seem likely to join or support the government despite UML's urging.
Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut has already briefed leaders that the party will remain in the opposition during the secretariat meeting held on Thursday.
Janamat Secretary BP Sah has claimed that UML itself is not sure whether the new government can muster majority and has, therefore, sought support of other parties. He has added that the party, which has acrimonious relation with JSP in Madhes, will not think about joining the new government until receiving commitment to get to lead the provincial government in Madhes.
The monarchist RPP, which has 14 seats, also does not seem likely to join the new government. RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden has already stated that the party is not in the game for power. RPP can play an important role in toppling or forming of new governments in the changed context.
Nagarik Unmukti Party, which has four seats, also does not seem interested in the federal government and is instead focused on the provincial government in Far West.
Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP), that also has four seats, has already decided to remain in the opposition.
