A key coalition partner’s sudden decision, which many believe is a well-planned move, on Wednesday left the governing party, the CPN-UML, scrambling, as it sensed the possibility of the UCPN (Maoist) pulling out its support.

In one more step towards changing the government, the UCPN (Maoist) on Wednesday decided to urge the ruling UML to join a consensus government under Maoist leadership. The UCPN (Maoist), the third largest party in Parliament, however, stopped short of saying it is withdrawing its support to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli government. The decision to form a consensus government under Maoist leadership was taken by a standing committee meeting of the UCPN (Maoist)

Party leaders have said that they would like to hold one more round of negotiations with PM Oli’s party before formally taking a decision about withdrawing support.
“We have decided to hold discussion with the UML tomorrow on a consensus government led by our party,” said UCPN (Maoist) Spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma. “If the UML refuses to extend its support, we could withdraw our support to the government.”

The Maoist move has now set the stage for frantic negotiations among the political parties, with the main opposition Nepali Congress taking the centre stage, to cobble a new alliance together to replace the Oli government.

According to sources, the premise for the dramatic turn of events was set during NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s meeting with UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday when the NC chief had offered to extend support to form a Maoist-led government.

The UML, the second largest party in Parliament with 183 seats, had formed the government under Oli with the support from the UCPN (Maoist), which has 83 seats, and other parties. Oli was elected prime minister on October 11 last year securing 338 votes. The moment the Maoist party withdraws its support, the UML government will be in crisis.

Deuba is said to have handed over a blank sheet of paper with the signatures of 207 NC lawmakers to Dahal as evidence of NC’s support, according to the sources.
In his recent informal meetings with Dahal, Deuba is learnt to have asked the former to take government leadership