Nepal: CPN-UML ministers submit their resignations, ruling alliance in trouble

With CPN-UML ministers submitting their resignations, the incumbent government formed in late December last year has lost its majority and now it may dissolve.

Prachanda now leads a minority government and would need to undertake a vote of confidence within a month.

In the morning today, in a secretariat meeting of the CPN-UMP, the party decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government and withdraw its support.

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

Earlier this morning, UML decided to wait till the Presidential election which was scheduled to take place on March 9 but in today's meeting, the party's vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel said they decided to pull out of the government after PM Dahal 'started working in a different fashion'.

The party, riled by the prime minister's direction to Minister for Foreign Affairs Bimala Rai Paudyal to cancel her Geneva trip, had summoned the secretariat meeting.

"We had tried our best to remain afloat the government despite the differences we had (with Maoist Centre) and continue the support to the government but Prime Minister lately attempted to go on a different path. So we decided to withdraw our support and walk out of the government," Paudel told ANI over the phone.

Further, he said, "Prime Minister blocked the scheduled visit of the Foreign Minister to Switzerland. The message about withdrawing from the government or being dismissed from the post was conveyed to us which left us with no reason to stay on board."

Recently, Prachanda had asked Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal to cancel her scheduled visit to Geneva to attend a high-level session of the UN Human Rights Council. Paudyal who is from UML was leading a five-member delegation including a secretary from the prime minister's office, foreign ministry officials and former minister Govinda Bandi as an expert. (ANI)