KATHMANDU, May 17: The Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF), which holds the key to new government formation, has decided to extend its support to the Nepali Congress-UML coalition, creating a clear prospect for the formation of a new government under UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal´s leadership. [break]
Two weeks after the Maoist-led government stepped down over the army chief sacking row, a new government has still not been formed on account of division among MPRF leadership.
According to UML leader Raghuji Pant, MPRF chairman Upendra Yadav wrote a letter to UML extending his party´s support to form the new government to be led by Nepal. Yadav wrote the letter after MPRF parliamentary party leader Bijaya Gachchhadar told media that he had handed a list of signatures of majority MPRF lawmakers over to leaders of the NC and CPN-UML, supporting Nepal as the new Prime Minister.
He did not, however, reveal the number of parliamentarians signing for the NC-UML coalition. But state-owned Nepal Television reported that 35 out of 53 MPRF lawmakers led by Gachchhadar have signed in favor of the new coalition.
With the much-needed MPRF support, the number of lawmakers backing Nepal as the Prime Minister has reached 327, a clear majority required to form the new government. Earlier, 292 parliamentarians altogether have extended their support to Nepal.
Earlier in the morning, MPRF co-chairman Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta met with Nepal at CPN-UML headquarters at Balkhu, Kathmandu. UML Shankar Pokharel said Gupta had met with the Prime Minister-aspirant and pledged his party´s support.
Gachchhadar also said his party would join the new government under Nepal´s leadership.
The support of the MPRF to the NC-UML coalition is contrary to the decision of the party´s Central Working Committee last Friday. The party´s central committee had decided to either take the initiative to form a new government under its leadership or extend support to parties from outside.
Gachchhadar´s move has pushed the NGO-turned party to the brink of split. To prevent this happening, the party´s co-chair JP Gupta has taken urgent measures, meeting with UML leaders and pledging his party´s support to the UML-led coalition.
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