Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: As President Bidya Devi Bhandari prepares to invite parties to form the government, political parties have intensified discussions to prepare a coalition to form the next government.
Twelve parties are represented in the House of Representatives. Of them, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Janamat Party have gained national party status.
Other five parties – CPN (Unified Socialist), Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), Rastriya Jana Morcha (RJM) and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) – failed to cross the 3% threshold to become a national party.
Parties must have 138 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives to form the government. But none of them has the required number of lawmakers to form the government.
NC is the largest party in the House of Representatives with 89 seats, followed by CPN-UML and CPN (Unified Socialist) which have 78 and 32 seats respectively. RSP, RPP, JSP and Janamat Party has 20, 14, 12 and 6 seats, respectively. Likewise, independent candidates Amresh Kumar Singh, Prabhu Sah, Lalbir Chaudhary, Yogendra Mandal and Kiran Kumar Sah have been elected to the House of Representatives.
The five-party ruling coalition, which formed an alliance for the November 20 election, is two seats short of the majority. As Janamat Party, which has six seats, has already decided to join the government, the coalition looks in a comfortable position to form the government. However, one of the coalition partners – CPN (Maoist Center) – is continuing talks with the CPN-UML to ensure that it has upper hand in powersharing talks in the coalition.
Therefore, talks about forming a second coalition are still relevant. Interestingly, some NC and UML leaders are also in discussions. UML leaders are publicly saying that the two parties should form the next government.
UML’s deputy general secretary Pradeep Gyawali said his party was ready to find a way out if the ruling coalition fails to form the next government. “UML will give a way out if the ruling coalition fails. But we will also have to hold talks with different parties,” he added.
Sources say Maoist Center and Unified Socialist are in favour of bringing JSP on board the new coalition. But NC doesn’t seem positive about including JSP, which ditched the coalition before the election to join hands with UML, in the new coalition.
Madhesh-based JSP and LSP too are showing their concerns in government formation. Both are ready to join the government. But the coalition hasn’t invited them for talks held after the election. Despite this, LSP claims to be a part of the ruling coalition.
Senior Leader of LSP Sharad Singh Bhandari claimed that since the party forged an electoral alliance with the ruling coalition, cooperation will take place accordingly. “We are ready to assist the coalition to form the government,” he added.
LSP President Mahantha Thakur has already met Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other leaders of the coalition.
Sources say Maoist Center and Unified Socialist are in favour of bringing JSP on board the new coalition. But NC doesn’t seem positive about including JSP, which ditched the coalition before the election to join hands with UML, in the new coalition.
Some are saying NC could make a government without including left parties.
NC Spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, however, said that the coalition will continue. “But NC will lead the government. As the largest party in the parliament, our claim is obvious,” he added.
Maoist Center General Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung, however, said Maoist Center should be allowed to lead the government. “The parties leading the people’s war and people’s movement are the guardians of the country. Mainly in terms of change of ideas and principles, Maoist Center is the guardian,” Gurung said “As a signatory of the Comprehensive Peace Accord, our chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal should lead the government.”
