Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, won a vote of confidence in Parliament on Monday, securing his position as the leader of a coalition government. Prachanda, 69, from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), received 157 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR), surpassing the required 138 votes.
In total, 158 lawmakers participated in the voting. The main opposition, Nepali Congress, boycotted the process and chanted slogans against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, who is accused of misappropriating cooperative funds, causing delays in the session. One HoR member remained neutral.
Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire announced Prachanda's victory, marking the fourth time he has sought a vote of confidence since becoming prime minister in December 2022. This vote followed the withdrawal of support from coalition partner Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) last week.
The voting was delayed due to obstructions by the Nepali Congress, demanding a parliamentary probe into Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the scam. Constitutional provisions require a prime minister to seek a vote of confidence after losing an ally's support.
Earlier on March 13, Prachanda won his third consecutive vote of confidence after forming a new alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), following a break with the Nepali Congress.
Prachanda, serving his third term as prime minister, has never completed a full five-year term. Since abolishing its 239-year-old monarchy and becoming a republic in 2008, Nepal has seen 13 different governments. The country's political landscape is dominated by three major parties — the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, and the Maoist Centre — which frequently change coalitions and partners to suit their political convenience.
