Nepal’s ‘fierce’ ex-guerrilla chief becomes new prime minister

KATHMANDU, Dec 25 (Reuters) – A former Maoist guerrilla who led a decade-long insurgency against Nepal’s Hindu monarchy was on Sunday appointed prime minister for a third time, in alliance with the main opposition after last month’s election returned a hung parliament.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda – meaning “terrible” or “fierce” – will head the new government for the first half of the five-year term with the support of the opposition Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and some other smaller groups, party officials said.

“He has been appointed and commands the support of a big majority of parliament,” Tika Dhakal, an aide to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari told Reuters.

Prachanda, who replaces Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party, will step down in 2025, making way for the UML to take over the office, local media reported.

“This is the understanding. Remaining work of distribution of key other posts and ministries is still to be worked out,” Dev Gurung, the general secretary of Prachanda’s Maoist Centre party told Reuters after a meeting of the new coalition.

The new coalition comes to power hours after Prachanda,68, surprisingly walked out of the ruling alliance led by Deuba of the Nepali Congress party. Deuba refused to back Prachanda for the prime minister’s job.

Deuba and Prachanda had both campaigned in the November election pledging to keep the old alliance intact for several years.

Prachanda’s Maoist Centre party won 32 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. The UML has 78 seats, and the rest, required for the 138-majority, will be controlled by smaller groups.

The Nepali Congress party will be the main opposition controlling 89 seats.

Analysts said Prachanda was unlikely to provide the country with stability due to many coalition partners. He also faces serious economic challenges.

Inflation is more than 8%, the highest in six years. Nepal, tucked between China and India, also faces dwindling foreign exchange reserves, with an increasing dependence on imports of basic goods.

“It is unlikely for the economy to grow as political instability will spook investment and businesses,” former central bank governor Deependra Bahadur Kshetri told Reuters.

Nepal has seen 10 government changes since 2008 when the 239-year-old monarchy was abolished.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma; editing by Mayank Bhardwaj and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Prachanda becomes Nepal PM with support from Oli-led CPN-UML

PTI / Updated: Dec 25, 2022, 18:55 IST

KATHMANDU: Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday appointed CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda‘ as the new Prime Minister.
Prachanda has been appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal as per the Article 76 Clause 2 of the Constitution, according to a statement issued by the President’s Office here.
The President had called any member of the House of Representatives, who can garner a majority with support from two or more parties as stipulated in the Article 76 clause 2 of the Constitution to submit a claim for the Prime Minister’s post.
Prachanda, 68, had submitted the claim before the deadline given by the President expired at 5 pm on Sunday.
The swearing in ceremony of the newly-appointed Prime Minister will take place at 4 pm on Monday, according to the President’s Office.
Prachanda along with CPN-UML chairman K P Sharma Oli, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Ravi Lamichhane, Rastriya Prajatantra Party chief Rajendra Lingden among other top leaders earlier went to the President’s Office with a proposal to appoint him as the new Prime Minister, sources said.
Prachanda has support of 165 lawmakers in the 275-member House of Representatives which includes CPN-UML with 78, CPN-MC with 32, RSP with 20, RPP with 14, JSP with 12, Janamat with 6 and Nagarik Unmukti Party with 3.
Prachanda is being appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time.
Born in Dhikurpokhari of Kaski district near Pokhara on December 11, 1954, Prachanda remained underground for almost 13 years. He joined mainstream politics when the CPN-Maoist adopted peaceful politics, ending decade long armed insurgency.
He led the decade-long armed struggle from 1996 to 2006 that ultimately ended with signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006.
Earlier, a crucial meeting was held at former prime minister Oli’s residence where CPN-Maoist Centre and other smaller parties agreed to form a government under the leadership of ‘Prachanda’.
There has been an understanding between Prachanda and Oli to lead the government on rotation basis and Oli agreed to make Prachanda Prime Minister at the first chance as per his demand.
“As the largest party the Nepali Congress failed to form a government under its leadership as per Article 76(2) of the Constitution within the president’s deadline. Now, the CPN-UML has taken the initiative to form the new government under the leadership of Prachanda with the support of 165 lawmakers,” Shankar Pokharel, CPN-UML general secretary, told reporters after the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Prachanda walked out of the Nepali Congress led five-party alliance after Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba rejected his bid to become the Prime Minister in the first round.
Deuba and Prachanda had earlier reached a tacit understanding to lead the new government on a rotational basis.
During talks with Prachanda on Sunday morning at the PM House, Nepali Congress had staked claim for both the key posts of President and Prime Minister, which Prachanda had rejected resulting in failure of the talks, Maoist sources said.
The NC offered the post of Speaker to the Maoist Party, which was rejected by Prachanda.
“The alliance has broken as the last-minute talk between Deuba and Prachanda failed to strike a deal,” Shah told PTI earlier in the day.
After talks with Prime Minister Deuba failed, Prachanda reached the private residence of CPN-UML chairman Oli to seek his support to become the Prime Minister. He was joined by leaders of other smaller parties.
Nepali Congress is the largest party with 89 seats in the House of Representatives while CPN-UML and CPN-MC have 78 and 32 seats, respectively.
No party in the 275-member House of Representatives has 138 seats required to form a government.
In the House, CPN (Unified Socialist) has 10 seats, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) has four, and Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party have one seat each.
There are five independent members in the Lower House.

नेपाल की सत्ता में एक बार फिर बनी माओवादी सरकार, तीसरी बार PM पद की शपथ लेंगे प्रचंड

पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’ नेपाल के अगले प्रधानमंत्री होंगे. वह नेपाल के प्रधानमंत्री पद की तीसरी बार शपथ लेने जा रहे हैं.

By: ABP Live   Updated at : 25 Dec 2022 07:54 PM (IST)

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Edited By: vaibhavsingh 

राष्ट्रपति विद्या देवी भंडारी को पत्र सौंपते पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’

Nepal’s New PM: नेपाल की सत्ता की कमान एक बार फिर पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’ संभालने जा रहे हैं. वह नेपाल के अगले प्रधानमंत्री होंगे और सोमवार (26 दिसंबर) को स्थानीय समय के अनुसार शाम 4 बजे वह तीसरी बार नेपाल के पीएम पद की शपथ लेंगे. नेपाल के राष्ट्रपति कार्यालय ने ट्वीट कर इस बात की जानकारी दी.

नेपाल में हुए आम चुनावों के बाद किसी भी राजनीतिक दल को बहुमत नहीं मिला था. लेकिन एक नाटकीय घटनाक्रम में विपक्षी सीपीएन-यूएमएल और अन्य छोटे दल रविवार (25 दिसंबर) को ‘प्रचंड’ को अपना समर्थन देने पर सहमत हो गये और इसके साथ ही प्रचंड का तीसरी बार पीएम बनना तय हो गया. 

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नेपाल की राष्ट्रपति विद्या देवी भंडारी को लिखे पत्र में प्रचंड ने कहा कि उनको प्रधानमंत्री पद के लिए निर्दलीय सांसदों समेत 169 सांसदों का समर्थन मिल गया है. इसके बाद राष्ट्रपति ने उनको नेपाल का प्रधानमंत्री नियुक्त कर दिया. वह कल पद और गोपनियता की शपथ लेंगे. 

कौन हैं पुष्प कमल दहल ‘प्रचंड’?
11 दिसंबर 1954 को पोखरा के निकट कास्की जिले के धिकुरपोखरी में जन्मे प्रचंड ने करीब 13 साल तक बैकग्राउंड में काम किया. वह उस वक्त मुख्यधारा की राजनीति में शामिल हो गए जब सीपीएन-माओवादी ने एक दशक लंबे सशस्त्र विद्रोह का रास्ता त्यागकर राजनीति का मार्ग अपनाया.

उन्होंने 1996 से 2006 तक एक दशक लंबे सशस्त्र संघर्ष का नेतृत्व किया था जो अंततः नवंबर 2006 में व्यापक शांति समझौते पर हस्ताक्षर के साथ समाप्त हुआ. इससे पहले ओली के आवास बालकोट पर आयोजित बैठक में पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री ओली के अलावा प्रचंड और अन्य छोटे दलों के नेताओं ने प्रचंड के नेतृत्व में सरकार बनाने पर सहमति जताई.

प्रचंड और ओली के बीच बारी-बारी से (रोटेशन के आधार पर) सरकार का नेतृत्व करने के लिए सहमति बनी है और प्रचंड को पहले प्रधानमंत्री बनाने पर ओली ने अपनी रजामंदी जतायी.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ appointed Prime Minister of Nepal

How Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, ex-guerrilla chief, became Nepal’s new PM

Nepal’s ‘fierce’ ex-guerrilla chief becomes new prime minister

https://theprint.in/?s=nepal

Nepal: Maoist Center’s Dahal submits application claiming Prime Ministership

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is new Prime Minister of Nepal, to take oath on Monday