A senior leader of the UML said: “Let the Nepali Congress form a government for five years. It will have our full support. We will focus on strengthening the party rather than joining the government. But, the NC’s government will be appropriate to bring political stability in the country.”
As the ruling coalition failed to garner majority and the CPN (Maoist Center) has been bargaining for various posts, the Nepali Congress has also been expressing its readiness to adopt flexibility to form a new government with the support of UML. Leaders close to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Oli have been working hard for the same. Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh had already held a meeting with UML Chairman Oli. The UML has also vowed to give written commitment to the Nepali Congress to form a single government for five years. The entire results of the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Province Assembly held under the first-past-the-post system have already been announced. In the HoR direct elections, the Nepali Congress emerged the first party by winning 57 seats followed by 44 of the CPN-UML, 18 of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and 10 of the CPN (Unified Socialist). Meanwhile, the UML has secured more votes under the proportional representation. There is a possibility that the party would get 34 seats while the Nepali Congress will be in second place. It can get 32 seats. It has been seen that the Congress will get 89 seats and UML 78. The Congress and UML will have 176 together. If the NC and UML band together, the two parties can form a government with a clear majority. The UML, however, has decided not to join the government, instead decided to support the NC from outside. UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has been advocating for a two-party system. He is in favor of forming a new government of Congress and UML saying that the fringe parties always do bargaining. During a meeting of the coalition, parties other than the Nepali Congress had expressed their grievances that the NC benefitted from this election while they had to face unexpected results. Expressing dissatisfaction over the election results, the parties apart from the Nepali Congress have been mounting pressure by forming morcha. CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been leading the front. In a meeting of its office bearers on December 3rd, the CPN (Maoist Centre) had decided to keep its options open on government formation. The Nepali Congress has also been doing homework internally to form a government with the UML. UML Vice-Chairman Pradeep Gyawali said that the Congress and UML have been holding discussions on the same. NC leader Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said that the first priority is to give continuity to the coalition.
