Nepali Congress (NC) has endorsed the agreement to form national consensus government with CPN-UML through the central working committee.
The central working committee meeting held at NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha Wednesday morning has endorsed his agreement with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli signed Monday night.
The grand old party’s statute allows its central working committee to take important decisions when the central committee meeting cannot be convened.
NC Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat has said after the meeting that the deal with UML was done for good governance, stability and economic prosperity. He has added that other parties who support the agenda will also be roped in to join the alliance.
NC has also urged PM Dahal to pave the way for formation of new government by resigning. UML also urged Dahal to resign on Tuesday but he has decided to not resign and take the floor test instead.
Oli and Deuba signed a seven-point agreement Monday night but the points have yet to be made public.
There are reports that the points include pledge to reform electoral system and system of governance among other things.
UML and NC will take turns to lead the government for the remaining term of the House of Representatives with Oli becoming the prime minister (PM) first as per the agreement. Deuba will then lead the government.
The two biggest parties in the House have agreed to form the government as per Article 76(2) of the Constitution.
The agreement means that the ruling coalition will change yet again in just four months.
The coalition between Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Center) had broken giving way to a new ruling coalition of the Maoists UML on March 3.
The previous ruling coalition was formed around a year before that ahead of 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.
