Nepal opposition urges President to initiate process to form new government as PM Oli loses confidence vote

Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and a faction of the Janata Samajwadi party led by Upendra Yadav have urged the country's President Bidya Devi Bhandari to initiate the process to form a new government after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament.

The Opposition leaders called on Bhandari to invoke Article 76 (2). The article says in a case where no party has a clear majority in the House of Representatives, the President shall appoint as the prime minister a member of the House of Representatives who can command majority with the support of two or more parties in the House of Representatives, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The call comes hours after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament as he could only garner just 93 votes way less than 136 that he needed to prove the House's majority.

As many as 124 votes were cast against him and 15 lawmakers stated neutral. In the 271-strong House, only 232 lawmakers were present during Monday's voting.

Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist Center chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Yadav, one of the chairs of the Janata Samajwadi Party, issued a joint statement, urging the President to invoke Article 76(2) on Monday evening, minutes after Oli lost his vote of confidence.

"As per the article 100 (1) of the constitution, the prime minister moved a vote of confidence motion, but lost it," read the statement signed by Deuba, Dahal and Yadav.

"The prime minister hence has been relieved of his position as per Article 100 (3). So we call upon the President to initiate the process to form a new government under Article 76 (2)," the statement read.

( With inputs from ANI )