UML pulls out of Nepal govt

Kathmandu: The CPN-UML has decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government in Nepal.

A secretariat meeting of the party held on Monday morning decided to quit the government after withdrawing its support.

The decision comes in the wake of a changed political equation in the run-up to the March 9 presidential election.

The party’s decision also came after Dahal decided to join hands with the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Unified Socialist) and the Janata Samajbadi Party in a bid to revive the then ruling alliance formed under the leadership of former Prime Minister and President of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba in the upcoming presidential election.

Relations between UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) was getting sour after Maoist Center whose chairman is Prachanda decided to support the presidential candidate of Nepali Congress.

The Nepali Congress was in opposition earlier but due to souring relations between UML’s Oli and Prachanda, the Maoist Center decided to breakaway its ties with UML and joined the hands with UML on February 24.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party on February 25 quit the incumbent government. With this decision, the Dahal-led government will tie up with Nepali Congress.

Besides Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center), six other parties have supported the Nepali Congress’s presidential candidate, Ram Chandra Poudel.

The UML had earlier decided to wait till the presidential election before taking a final call on whether to leave the government.

Bishnu Paudel, UML’s vice-chairman, said the meeting decided to pull out of the government after the Prime Minister “started working in a different fashion”.
IANS