The Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) has withdrawn its support to the KP Sharma Oli-led federal government and informed Speaker Devraj Ghimire about the decision.
NUP Chairperson and House of Representatives member Ranjita Shrestha met Speaker Ghimire on Sunday to formally communicate the withdrawal of support to the government.
"We have withdrawn our support to the KP Sharma Oli-led government, and have already met and informed the speaker about it," said Shrestha. "We will now sit in the opposition bench."
According to Shrestha, a meeting with Prime Minister Oli has also been scheduled for Sunday. Since PM Oli is currently in Humla, the meeting will take place at 4 p.m. after his return to Kathmandu, Shrestha said.
The NUP made the decision to withdraw its support to the government after holding a parliamentary party meeting.
Gangaram Chaudhary, leader of the NUP’s parliamentary party, said that a unanimous decision was made to withdraw support as the government had failed to deliver satisfactory results.
"This government could not perform as expected. Therefore, the parliamentary party has already decided to withdraw the support given to the government and recall our minister, Arun Kumar Chaudhary," he said.
Arun Kumar Chaudhary, an NUP lawmaker, currently serves as the minister of state for culture, tourism, and civil aviation in the Oli-led government.
With the NUP withdrawing its support, PM Oli will now have to seek a vote of confidence.
Article 100 (2) of the Constitution states: “If the political party represented by the prime minister splits or a political party in the government withdraws its support, the prime minister shall table a motion in the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within thirty days.”
When the Oli-led government was formed, it had the support of the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress. Later, the Janata Samajwadi Party, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, NUP, and some independent lawmakers also supported the government.
On July 21 last year, 188 lawmakers had voted in favor of PM Oli’s confidence motion in the House of Representatives.
Even now, the Nepali Congress and UML together hold a majority in the House.
