Nepal: PM Prachanda to seek fourth vote of confidence amid scuffle in Parliament

Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) will seek his fourth vote of confidence on May 20. The move comes amidst ongoing disruption and chaos in the Nepal parliament.

The latest vote of confidence comes after the withdrawal of support by the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal and within 18 months of Dahal taking office.

Shekhar Adhikari, press advisor to House Speaker Ghimire told ANI, “Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has written to House Speaker Debraj Aryal. The PMO sent the letter stating that he (Dahal) will seek a vote of confidence on May 20. Preparations are already underway for the vote of confidence.”

The decision comes at a time when the opposition Nepali Congress have been holding protests within the parliament complex, demanding the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee to probe cooperative fraud allegedly involving Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Earlier, on Thursday, a scuffle broke out between lawmakers in the Opposition and the ruling alliance in the Lower House of the Nepalese parliament on the alleged fraud involving the minister.

The situation turned tense after Speaker Ghimire invited Deputy PM and Home Minister Lamichhane to the rostrum and address the meeting amid protests by the Nepali Congress.

Nepali Congress lawmakers raised slogans demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the alleged cooperative fraud and deliver justice to the victims.

Following the announcement by the Speaker, inviting Home Minister Lamichhane to the rostrum, the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) lawmakers, seated in the front row of the Opposition benches, erupted in raucous protests.

In the live feed from parliament, former prime minister and chairman of CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli, was seen attempting to clear the way for the Home Minister as he was blocked by the agitating Opposition lawmakers.

Oli and Congress vice president Dhanraj Gurung were also engaged in a heated argument. Other lawmakers from both sides subsequently joined the melee. The Congress lawmakers were visibly angry after the Speaker read out letters received from the Office of the President amid their protest.

Later, the Speaker asked the Home Minister to take his seat and adjourned the meeting. The next session will be convened at 11 am on Friday.

The main Opposition has been obstructing the budget session of the parliament since the session commenced on May 10.

However, the Opposition members allowed the President to table policies and programmes of the government.

Home Minister Lamichhane has been allegedly accused of fraud in a cooperative duping millions of rupees of depositors in conspiracy with others. While Lamichhane denied the allegation claiming he was unaware of the matter, evidence allegedly pointing to his involvement surfaced and an investigation was launched.

Lamichhane has been accused of misusing his authority to transfer top-positioned police personnel investigating the case. It is also alleged that he misused his authority by coercing and forcing the Office of the Attorney General to give him a clean chit in the cooperative 'fraud' case.

With the Opposition up in arms and his Home Minister facing serious charges, Dahal decided to take a floor test for the fourth time as per an article in Nepal's constitution, which mandates a sitting prime minister to prove his majority in the event of the exit of any party in the coalition.