KATHMANDU, March 22: It seems that the Federal Parliament will not sit until Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahalal receives a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives. The meeting of the House of Representatives on March 1 has been adjourned until March 19. Within that, Dahal is preparing to take the vote of confidence with the support of parties like the Nepali Congress after asking them to participate in the government. Sources claim that after the Vice-Presidential election on March 17, the coalition parties will start working with the expansion of the government and Dahal is preparing to take the vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on March 22. Accordingly, the meeting of the National Assembly convened on Monday has also been postponed till March 22.
After the two major parties in power UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew their support, both parties will remain in the opposition, but Nepali Congress, which is in the opposition, will remain in the opposition until the Prime Minister Dahal takes a vote of confidence. After the two parties participating in the government separated themselves from it and withdrew their support, Dahal has to take a vote of confidence within 30 days according to clause 2 of Article 100 of the Constitution. Since RPP withdrew its support on February 25 and separated itself from the government, Dahal needs to take a vote of confidence by March 26.
However, Prime Minister Dahal has not been able to take a vote of confidence as Nepali Congress has asked for a vote of confidence only after the election of the President and Vice President. The presidential election was held on March 9, while the vice-presidential election will be held on March 17. A Maoist leader said that although the vote of confidence can be taken after the presidential and vice-presidential elections, the Congress has asked Prime Minister Dahal to delay it for a few more days.
Prime Minister Dahal receives vote of confidence for the second...
Prime Minister Dahal has said that he will take the vote of confidence on March 22, but Nepali Congress has suggested to take it two to four days later, said the leader. Assuming that the vote of confidence could be taken by March 22, the meeting of the National Assembly called on Monday was postponed by issuing a notice until March 22, according to a source in the Parliament Secretariat.
Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, leader of the UML parliamentary party in the National Assembly, said that the meeting of the National Assembly was postponed on March 8 based on the suggestion of the Maoist leader. While the meeting of the House of Representatives was convened on March 1, there are indications that the House of Representatives meeting on March 19, which was postponed until March 19, may also be postponed until March 22. The meetings of both the Houses of Parliament have been affected after Nepali Congress took the stand of remaining in the opposition.
The cabinet has not been expanded for 15 days due to the stand of the Congress that the Prime Minister will not enter the government without a vote of confidence. Prime Minister Dahal has taken over the ministries taken by UML and RPP. Article 100(2) of the Constitution provides for the vote of confidence and motion of no confidence.
"If the party represented by the Prime Minister splits or if the party participating in the government withdraws its support, the Prime Minister must submit a proposal to the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within thirty days," the clause of the article states.
According to this, as the UML and RPP have withdrawn their support, the government is conducting legal consultations to get a vote of confidence. In another clause of the same article, it is mentioned that if the vote of confidence is not obtained, the Prime Minister will be removed from office.
“If the resolution submitted in accordance with sub-clauses (1) , (2) and (3) of Part-6, section 62, cannot be passed by the majority of the members immediately existing in the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister will be relieved of his office," as mentioned in the clause.
