Nepal: Socialist Party members walk out of Oli-led govt, two-third majority at stake

Socialist Party chair Upendra Yadav made the announcement of the walkout from the government issuing a release, but hasn't mentioned the withdrawal of support for the incumbent government.

Kathmandu: The incumbent government of Nepal under the Prime Ministership of KP Sharma Oli's two-third majority is at stake as two ministers of Socialist Party on Tuesday tendered their resignation to the prime minister citing the failure in the implementation of a two-point agreement that two sides signed earlier.

Party chair Upendra Yadav who was on board the government as the deputy prime minister made the announcement of the walkout from the government issuing a release, but hasn't mentioned the withdrawal of support for the incumbent government.

"I hereby inform about my resignation from the post of deputy prime minister and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to be effective from today as it seems staying in the government holds no meaning now on a moral ground when it is clear the government has backtracked from the two-point agreement and unilaterally violated it," Yadav stated in the press note.

Yadav, who also assumes portfolio of the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs, said that he, in the December 23 meeting of the Council of Ministers, proposed to constitute an expert committee to carry out homework for the constitution amendment, but the proposal was rejected and that is the reason why he resigned from the post.

The then Federal Socialist Party had joined the government on the condition of amending the constitution.

The Party stated that it had introduced the topic of the constitution amendment in the meeting of the Council of Ministers and the Parliament from time to time as well as submitted a memorandum in this connection to the prime minister. However, it alleged that its concerns were not heard.

Minister for Urban Development, Mohammad Ishtiyak Rai who represented the party in the government, also resigned from his post on Tuesday.

Out of a total of 275 members, the incumbent party requires a total of 183 MPs. The ruling Nepal Communist Party has 174 Members of Parliament falling short of 9 votes for the two-thirds majority which it had maintained with alignment from the Socialist Party.

The Socialist Party has a total of 17 MPs and the incumbent government of KP Sharma Oli has a clear-cut two-third majority with 191 MPs on its support.

One of the officials from the Socialist Party informed the media that the decision over support to the government would be decided after the meeting of the party scheduled to be held on Wednesday.