By Our Reporter
Among the contemporary leaders of Nepal, CPN (UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli is regarded to be the best political strategist. His colloquial skills, plans and skills to secretly execute his conspiracies yield outcomes in his favour. Oli had reached a defensive position 17 months back when the Supreme Court issued an order that Sher Bahadur Deuba is made Prime Minister, and when the party he led broke into three and his party lost all political positions, except for the President, has now returned to the position of the kingmaker. Although Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Centre has now become the Prime Minister, Oli holds the key to the government. Dahal can do nothing until Oli gives a green signal.
In the last 17 months, Oli had a single goal to break the coalition of five parties led by NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba. He tried his best to break the alliance before the November 20 elections, but he could steal only the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal then. But after the elections, he not only managed to break the alliance but succeeded to form the government as per his wish.
He also cornered Madhav Kumar Nepal, the leader of the breakaway faction of the UML in a politically difficult position. He applied every cunning measure to end the alliance, he telephoned NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba asking the latter to form the NC-UML government, he convinced Deuba’s wife Arzu, who was working as de-facto PM ever since Deuba became the PM in July 2021, that he would support them if they agreed to form the minority government. When Deuba and Arzu believed the deceitful assurances and acted according to his suggestions, he managed to break it, and form a government stripping NC of all political positions.
Challenges ahead for PM Prachanda
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of the CPN (Maoist Centre) has become the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time. Following dramatic political developments of less than four hours on Sunday, Prachanda was appointed new Prime Minister with the backing of 169 of 275 members of the House of Representatives. President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed him as the new prime minister as per Article 76 (2) of the constitution on Sunday and administered the oath of office on Monday.
Prachanda had formed an eight-member Cabinet with three Deputy Prime Ministers and four ministers. Bishnu Paudel of the CPN (UML) is appointed Deputy Prime Minister and is given the portfolio of the Finance Ministry. He is ranked second after the Prime Minister in the Cabinet. Likewise, Narayan Kaji Shrestha of the CPN (Maoist Center) is another Deputy Prime Minister with a portfolio of the Physical Infrastructure and Transportation Ministry. The appointment of Rabi Lamichhane as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs was a big surprise. Lamichhane succeeded to become the DPM and powerful Home Minister within six months he formed Rastriya Swatantra Party. He is also facing a case related to his citizenship certificate and police are investigating it. But now he has himself become the Home Minister. Maybe, CPN (UML) chair KP Sharma Oli, who had criticized Lamichhane in the past gave him the portfolio of the Home Ministry with the hope of breaking the alliance by preventing Lamichhane from joining the NC-led alliance.
Four other ministers—three from the CPN (UML) and one from the Janamat Party have not given their portfolios.
Although three of the seven parties in the new alliance have decided not to join the government and support it from outside, giving a full shape to the cabinet looks challenging as there are more aspirants to become ministers in all four parties. Moreover, a new government is formed when the economy is in bad condition and the fear of a new variant of COVID-19 has increased.
Moreover, the Prime Minister will be weak as he will be controlled by someone outside the Cabinet. As Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda was made the PM by KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML, the PM cannot go against the interest of Oli. As such, he may not be able to deliver.
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