PM Dahal to take vote of confidence in parliament on January 10

Published On: January 3, 2023 08:00 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

Holds discussions with EC officials to elect new president, vice president and a member of National Assembly

KATMANDU, Jan 3: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is planning to take the vote of confidence in the parliament on January 10. Dahal, who was appointed as the new prime minister on December 25, took the oath of office and secrecy on December 26.

Dahal was appointed as prime minister with the support of 169 parliamentarians including UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Janta Samajwadi Party (JSP), Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party and three independent lawmakers, in line with Article 76(2) of the Constitution of Nepal. As per the existing constitutional provision, a prime minister appointed under Article 76(2) needs to secure a vote of confidence from the parliament within 30 days of the appointment.

Prime Minister Dahal needs to secure at least 138 votes in the 275-member parliament to continue his term as the prime minister.

Prime Minister Dahal has registered a letter to the Federal Parliament Secretariat to put the proposal of taking a vote of confidence on the agenda of parliament on January 10-- a day after the first meeting of the newly-elected House of Representatives (HoR).

As per the power-sharing deal reached between the UML and the Maoist Center before Dahal's appointment as the new prime minister, UML will have its candidates elected as the president and speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR). According to sources, there has been agreement to hold the post of speaker for the first two and half years by the UML and remaining term by the Maoist Center candidate.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Dahal also held talks with office bearers of the Election Commission (EC) for holding elections to the posts of president, vice president and the vacant positions of the National Assembly members.

PM Dahal held the meeting with EC officials at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. On the occasion, he directed EC's office bearers to start the necessary process for the election as per the constitution and legal provisions, said his press coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma.

"You (EC office bearers) can forward the process for the election to the vacant position of the NA. For the election of a new president and vice president, we will hold discussions among the political parties, and reach a conclusion," Sharma quoted PM Dahal as saying.

While the president and vice president are elected by majority members of HoR, the EC needs to organize voting to elect members of the National Assembly. During the meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and election commissioners apprised the PM of the EC's works and activities, and the election process.

CEC Thapaliya had briefed that a post of National Assembly member was lying vacant after Khim Lal Bhattarai (other category) tendered resignation on October 9. He also apprised Prime Minister Dahal that they need to complete the process of electing a new president before the term of current president expires on March 12, 2023. As per the existing constitutional and legal provision, the election of vice president should be held within 15 days of the election of the president.