Prime Minister KP Oli resigned on Sunday ahead of a no-confidence vote which he looked likely to lose.

Delivering a long speech, Oli informed Parliament that he had already submitted his resignation to President Bidya Bhandari.

CPN (Maoist-Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal had filed a no-confidence motion against the Oli government on Friday, accusing him of being ‘anti-federalist’ and ‘being close to those political forces that want to revive the monarchy’.

But the real reason for the CPN (Maoist-Centre)’s withdrawal of its support to the UML government was Oli’s refusal to implement a power-sharing deal with Dahal. In May, Oli had saved his government by promising to hand over power to Dahal after the budget was announced.

But Oli denied having made any such agreement with Dahal, resulting in the CPN (Maoist-Centre)’s decision to pull out of the government by signing another power-sharing deal, this time with the NC.

Ahead of Sunday’s voting, two fringe parties that had been in the ruling coalition – the MJF (D) and the RPP – also quit the ruling coalition.

President Bidya Bhandari will now urge all the political parties to form a new government. Dahal is set to lead the new government, backed by the main opposition NC and other fringe parties.

Meanwhile, Govinda KC’s hunger strike demanding reforms in the medical education sector and the impeachment of the CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki entered its 15th day on Sunday – his longest ever fast-unto-death. The major parties have been too preoccupied in their efforts to topple the Oli government and forge a new coalition, and have not paid attention to KC’s demands.

Students and youth activists have been staging protest rallies in support of KC. They demonstrated outside Karki’s office on Sunday. Police ran batons to disperse them, and arrested at least 19 protesters, who subsequently staged a hunger strike in police custody demanding the reasons for their arrest.

(Nepali Times)