New Tug of War for Power in Nepal: Forming the Coalition
KATHMANDU: Close on the heels of an election that saw the rout of Nepal’s two big ruling parties and a stunning victory for the Maoists, a new tug of war for power has begun between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress (NC) and the former guerrillas.
With the Maoists winning 220 seats in the 601-member constituent assembly and the NC reduced to half of that, the former rebels have begun consultations with other parties for a coalition government to be led by their chairman Prachanda.
As the biggest party after the election, the Maoists say they have won the people’s mandate to lead the new government and guide the drafting of a new constitution for Nepal.
However, senior NC leaders have begun opposing the claim, saying Koirala should remain prime minister.
A piquant situation has arisen with two NC leaders, both of whom won in the April 10 constituent assembly election, rooting for the continuation of a government led by their party.