PM Oli to seek vote of confidence on Sunday

By Lucky Chaudhary, Kathmandu, July 20: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is all set to seek a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives (HoR) on July 21.  

According to the constitutional provision, the newly appointed Prime Minister should take a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of the appointment. 

PM Oli had staked a claim on the post of Prime Minister with the support of the Nepali Congress (NC) on July 12 after President Ramchandra Paudel summoned HoR members for staking a claim for the prime ministerial post by Article 76 (2) of the constitution.

Oli was appointed Prime Minister as per Article 76 (2) of the constitution with the support of 166 lawmakers of the UML and Nepali Congress on Sunday while on the same day the then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ failed to attain a vote of confidence from HoR thereby getting dethroned.

He requires 138 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives to win the vote of confidence, and the NC and UML have 166 members in the Lower House. 

Earlier, the then PM Prachanda lost as only 63 were cast for him to retain the post of PM, so it looks like PM Oli will secure 194 votes from HoR. 88 votes from main coalition party Nepali Congress (NC), 78 from CPN (UML), seven from Janata Samajabadi Party led by Ashok Rai, five from JSP, Nepal led By Upendra Yadav, six from Janmat Party, four from Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, four from Nagarik Unmukti Party, 2 from independent making a total of 194 votes for PM.

According to the Spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat, Joint Secretary Dasharath Dhamala, the HoR will commence at 1 PM on July 21.