Nepal’s Prachanda jumps ship, appointed new PM

NEW DELHI:  On a day of high drama, CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was appointed the new prime minister of Nepal after he broke away from the Nepal Congress-led coalition and embraced his sworn enemy K P Sharma Oli, who heads the CPN-UML. Prachanda, 68, will take his oath of office and secrecy on Monday.

The former Maoist guerrilla’s appointment capped weeks of intense power struggle within the ruling alliance after last month’s general elections failed to produce a clear winner. Since President Bidya Devi Bhandari had set a 5 pm deadline on Sunday to end the political stalemate, Prachanda staked his claim at 4 pm to form the new government with the support of 168 lawmakers in the 275-member House of Representatives.

However, the new axis, called the Balkot coalition, will be inherently unstable as Oli’s is the biggest party in the grouping with 78 representatives as against Prachanda’s 32. This would be Prachanda’s third tenure as PM. The deal to form the Balkot coalition was clinched at a meeting at Oli’s residence. It comprises CPN-UML with 78 members of Parliament, CPN-MC 32, RSP 20, RPP 14, JSP 12, Janamat 6 and Nagarik Unmukti Party 3.

The new government will be a cause of concern for India as many members of the Balkot coalition like Oli are anti-India. All major projects India slated to develop in Nepal could be delayed, if not put on hold.
Sources said China had encouraged all Left wing parties to bury the hatchet and forge a coalition to capture power.

Nepal Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Prachanda had earlier reached an understanding to lead the new government on a rotational basis. While Prachanda wanted to be the prime minister in the first round, Deuba refused to yield, hence the former left the alliance.

“One of the major tasks for new prime minister Prachanda will include striking a balance between India and China,’’ said former Nepalese Ambassador Vijay Kant Karna.  As prime minister last year while facing a revolt from coalition partner Prachanda, Oli had redrawn Nepal’s political map by incorporating three key Indian territories Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in order to divert attention. 

Gave up armed struggle in 2006
Prachanda led an armed struggle from 1996 to 2006 that ended with signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006 and him joining the political mainstream