Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Nepal's prime minister wins confidence vote in parliament, his fourth since taking office

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Nepal’s prime minister will continue leading his shaky governing coalition after winning his fourth vote of confidence in two years on Monday.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called the vote in Nepal's lower house of parliament after a minor party in his coalition broke apart and its members withdrew support from the government. Dahal won the vote with 157 votes, a majority of the 272-member house.

Dahal has struggled to keep his coalition together since becoming prime minister in December 2022 following an inconclusive election. Dahal's Nepal Communist Party Maoist Center came in third in that election, but was the first party to piece together majority support.

That left him in a precarious position. He has had to switch coalition partners to keep his majority.

The latest challenge is allegations that his Home Minister was involved in financial irregularities involving cooperatives.

Opposition lawmakers are demanding the minister resign and have been protesting for days inside the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, shouting slogans and trying to block the vote of confidence on Monday.

Security officers had to block the protesters to make the vote possible.

Dahal briefly told the protesting members it was unfair for them to protest during an important vote while he was doing all he can to work with them.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.