JSPN unlikely to withdraw support from ruling coalition

KATHMANDU, June 24: A meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal (JSPN) held on Saturday and Sunday reached the conclusion that the government has utterly failed to deliver on its output.

This is not the first instance when JSPN, a supporter of the ruling coalition, voiced significant dissent against the government’s work publicly up to this point. With the conclusion of the central executive committee of the party that the government has been a complete failure, political analysts have started to speculate whether the party is on the path to rescind support to the ruling coalition or the move is simply a ‘bargain chip’ for the party’s chairman Upendra Yadav to gain presence in the ruling coalition.

“The present government led by KP Oli has completely failed in curbing corruption, guaranteeing good governance, constitution amendment and improving the economic situation in the country," the party said in a statement issued to make public the decisions of the meeting.

Considering this decision, speculations are rife that JSPN will soon withdraw support to the government. JSPN’s spokesperson Manish Suman informed Republica that the party is deliberating the decision whether to discontinue support to the coalition.

“The party has made a decision. We have given the parliamentary party the right to take that decision. But this is not the final decision. Now what the parliamentary party decides, the party will accept it,” Suman said.

Political analysts, however, have signalled that the seemingly clear indication to withdraw the support to the coalition could simply be a political bargaining chip.

Political Analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta told Republica that it is highly unlikely that the JSPN is planning to withdraw support to the ruling coalition. “Even if the JSPN withdraws support, the decision will not affect the ruling coalition as it would still retain a majority in the parliament,” he said, “It seems unlikely that JSPN will remove support to the coalition, rather the party is using its speculated dissent as a political bargaining chip.”

On the very onset of the formation o the coalition, JSPN had expressed dissatisfaction with the KP Sharma Oli-led government. The party was further dismayed by the land ordinance brought by the government. The ordinance did not go ahead due to the stand of political parties including JSPN.

JSPN Chairman Upendra Yadav, who was ousted from the government when he was deputy prime minister and health minister in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government, extended his support as soon as the next government was formed under Oli's leadership.

His party JSPN split while he was in the US as a minister in the government. He had also accused Prime Minister Dahal of playing a role in the party split. Upset with Dahal, he supported the Oli-led government. But now he has supposedly reconsidering the decision.

Political Analyst Bhatta speculated that the JSPN’s central executive committee’s move to express dissent against the government could also be a move to re-position itself in the national politics with the seemingly increasing closeness between the ruling party Nepali Congress and main opposition party CPN (Maoist Center).