Nepal - 2022 Elections
Nepal will hold national and provincial elections on 18 November 2022, which the ruling coalition, led by the centrist Nepali Congress party, was expected to win. About 18 million people were eligible to vote for the 275-member parliament, as well as the 550 members of seven provincial assemblies through a mix of first past the post and the proportional representation system.
Nepali’s three major parties – Nepali Congress, the Communist UML party and the Maoist Centre – have all led different coalitions in the past but none has served the full five-year term due to power struggles and infighting. Eighty percent of Nepalis are Hindus, with the rest Buddhists, Muslims and Christians.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who leads the Nepali Congress party, has allied with the Maoist Centre party, the main group of former Maoist rebels. Deuba, 76, is seeking to return to power for the sixth time. His Nepali Congress party is considered the closest to India.
The UML, led by 70-year-old K P Sharma Oli, is in a loose alliance with a royalist group. Oli, known for his pro-Beijing stance during previous terms, is the favourite for prime minister if his alliance wins. He has been prime minister twice before.
The Maoist Centre party led by supremo Prachanda could emerge as a kingmaker in case of inconclusive elections. Prachanda, who still goes by his nom de guerre meaning “fierce”, is also aspiring for the top job.
The Nepali Congress party promised to create 250,000 jobs every year if it is returned to power while the main opposition Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) pledged to create 500,000 jobs every year. Political stability has proven elusive for the poor nation, wedged between China and India, discouraging many investors. Nepal has had 10 different governments since the abolition of a 239-year-old monarchy in 2008.
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.
A former Maoist leader who led a decade-long rebellion against Nepal’s monarchy has been 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 other smaller groups, party officials said on 25 December 2022.
Seven parties pledged their support for him. Prachanda, who replaced Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party, will step down in 2025, making way for the UML to take over the office. “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 came to power hours after Prachanda, 68, surprisingly walked out of the ruling alliance led by 76-year-old Deuba. Deuba, whose Nepali Congress emerged as the single largest party after the November 20 polls, refused to back Prachanda for the prime minister’s job.
Prachanda hid out for years in the jungle during Nepal’s 1996-2006 civil war that killed nearly 17,000 people and led to the end of the 239-year-old monarchy. In 2006, the Maoists gave up their armed revolt, joined a United Nations-assisted peace process and entered mainstream politics. Prachanda served briefly as prime minister in 2008-09, and again in 2016-17.
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 percent, the highest in six years. Nepal 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.
Nepal has been hampered by political instability, frequent changes in government and squabbles among parties, which have been blamed for delays in writing the constitution and slow economic development. The Himalayan nation has seen 10 government changes since 2008, when the monarchy was abolished.
The ruling coalition of Nepal decided on the number of Ministries after holding a second round of meetings in late March 2023 in response to demands from all parties for a large number of seats in the cabinet. Nine political parties will make up the new Council of Ministers.
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