In order to create the new administration, the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal teamed up with his rival, former Prime Minister KP Oli.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a politician and rebel leader in Nepal, was the country’s first prime minister (2008–2009) when the Maoist insurgency overthrew the monarchy and ushered in a democratic republic. He was later reinstated in that position (2016-17).
For the third time, Prachanda was chosen as prime minister of Nepal.
Early life of Prachanda
Pushpa Kamal Dahal was born into a low-income farming family in central Nepal’s mountainous Kaski district. When he was 11 years old, his family relocated to the Chitwan district, where a teacher first exposed him to communism. In 1975, he graduated from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science at Rampur in Chitwan district.
He oversaw the ten-year armed conflict from 1996 to 2006, which came to an end in November 2006 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
On Sunday, CPN-Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was named the new prime minister of Nepal by President Bidya Devi Bhandari. According to the President’s Office, Prachanda was appointed Nepal’s Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76, Section 2 of the Constitution.
Any member of the House of Representatives who could secure a majority with the backing of two or more parties in accordance with Article 76(2) of the Constitution was invited by the President to propose a motion for the position of Prime Minister.
Road to Nepal’s prime Ministership
Prachanda, 68, had submitted the application before the President’s deadline of Sunday, December 25 at 5 p.m. The President’s Office has announced that the newly selected Prime Minister will be sworn in on Monday,26 December at 4 p.m.
Prachanda had previously gone to the Office of the President with NPC-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Ravi Lamichhane, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair Rajendra Lingden, and other top leaders to make the recommendation to appoint him the new prime minister,sources said.
In the 275-seat House of Representatives, 165 MPs support Prachanda, including the CPN-UML with 78, the CPN-MC with 32, the RSP with 20, the RPP with 14, the JSP with 12, Janamat with 6 and Nagarik Unmukti with 3.
Prior to this, A crucial meeting was held at former Prime Minister Oli’s residence, where the NPC-Maoist center and other smaller parties agreed to form a government led by “Prachanda”.
Prachanda and Oli agreed to run the government on a rotating basis and Oli agreed to make Prachanda prime minister as per his request at the earliest opportunity. “As the largest party, the Nepalese Congress failed to form a government under his leadership within the deadline of set by the President under Article 76(2) of the Constitution.Now, CPN-UML has taken the initiative to form the new government led by Prachanda with the support of 165 MPs,” Shankar Pokharel, secretary-general of CPN-UML, told reporters after the meeting.
Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had rejected his candidacy for prime minister in the first round, Deuba and Prachanda had previously reached a tacit agreement to alternate the new government posts of president and prime minister, which Prachanda had rejected, provoking the talks to collapse,” Maoist said Sources.
The NC offered the post of spokesman for the Maoist Party, which was turned down by Prachanda.”The alliance fell apart because last-minute talks between Deuba and Prachanda failed to reach an agreement,” Shah told PTI earlier that day.
After talks with PM Deuba broke down, Prachanda came to the private residence of CPN-UML President Oli to solicit his support for the PM post. He was joined by leaders of other smaller parties.
