PM Dahal passes floor test for third time (Pictures)

Nabin Babu Gurung

Kathmandu, March 13

Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal passed the floor test in the House of Representatives (HoR) for a third time on Wednesday.

The Dahal government received 157 votes in the floor test while 110 voted against it. One lawmaker stayed neutral. A total of 268 lawmakers were present in the House.

The five parties in the ruling coalition--CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and CPN (Unified Socialist)--all voted in support of the government. The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC), Janamat Party, Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal and others voted against the government.

Dahal was constitutionally required to seek floor test again after the largest party in the House, NC, decided to withdraw support to the government.

After the voting, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal were seen talking to each other, while Nepali Congress lawmakers were seen talking to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Here are some pictures.