The newly appointed Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli is all set to seek a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on July 21.  According to the Nepali constitution, 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.

K P Sharma Oli was appointed Prime Minister on Sunday, as per Article 76 (2) of the constitution, with the support of 166 UML and Nepali Congress lawmakers. At the same time, on the same day the then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ failed to attain a vote of confidence from HoR thereby getting dethroned. PM Oli 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, then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda lost as only 63 were cast for him to retain the post of PM. It is expected that PM Oli may receive 194 votes in the floor test to be held on Sunday, 88 votes from main coalition party Nepali Congress (NC), 78 from CPN (UML), seven from Janata Samajbadi 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.

By Sweta Singh (Kathmandu)