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Nepal's Maoist Center leader and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal now has the backing of 169 members of the Parliament to form the new government, as three more independent MPs have come forward in his support.
Dahal has moved an application with the President claiming the Prime Ministership of Nepal shortly after a coalition of six parties decided to support him to form the next government. "A coalition of 6 parties have decided to project Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the Prime Minister. An agreement has been reached. Dahal will lead the government for two and a half years and the CPN-UML will be power in the remaining two-and-a-half years," Barshaman Pun, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) said. In the new coalition, the CPN-UML has 78, Maoist Center 32, Rastriya Swatantra Party 20, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 14, Janata Samajbadi Party 12, Janamat Party 6, Nagarik Unmukti Party has four MPs and three independent lawmakers are in support of Prachanda. Pushpa Kamal Dahal now has the support of 169 Members of Parliament. Earlier on Sunday, Nepal's Maoist Center decided to leave the ruling coalition, Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel said. Confirming the decision of the Maoist Centre over the phone with ANI, Paudel said that Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda walked out of the coalition meeting on Sunday after saying that "the coalition has lost its relevance." After he walked out of the ruling coalition meeting, which was started with the aim to reach an agreement on government formation, Prachanda held a meeting with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) president and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Confirming the news of Dahal's walkout, Maoist Center's press secretary said, "Agreement hasn't been reached." After Dahal walked out, the ruling coalition meeting ended without any conclusion. "The meeting of the ruling coalition ends. No decision has been made," leaders, who were present in the meeting earlier said. Earlier, Maoist Centre's General Secretary Dev Gurung threatened Nepali Congress that they would "walk out" from the coalition if the latter remained adamant on their demand to hold both the president and prime minister positions. (ANI)
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