Nepal in political turmoil

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) has decided to quit the Nepal government’s coalition.

A secretariat meeting of the party held on Monday morning decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government and also withdraw its support to the government, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The decision by the party comes in the wake of a changed political equation in the run-up to the presidential election.

CPN-UML had earlier decided to wait till the presidential election scheduled for March 9 before taking a final call on whether to leave the government.

CPN-UML’s Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel said that the meeting decided to pull out of the government after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal started working in a different fashion.

“Prime minister directed the foreign minister to cancel her foreign trip. It did not seem appropriate for us to stay in the government after he asked to leave the government voluntarily or work as a minister without portfolio,” said Paudel talking to journalists after the meeting.

The party, riled by the prime minister’s direction to Minister for Foreign Affairs Bimala Rai Paudyal to cancel her Geneva trip, had summoned the secretariat meeting.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Paudyal, who is from the Marxist–Leninist party, was scheduled to leave for Geneva, leading a five-member delegation including a secretary from the prime minister’s office, foreign ministry officials and former minister Govinda Bandi as an expert. However, she was asked to cancel her trip.

On Saturday, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party had quit the incumbent government after the CPN (Maoist Centre) formed an eight-party alliance with parties including the Nepali Congress.