K.P. Oli clings to power even as Nepal President dissolves Parliament

Opposition calls decision unconstitutional, alleges the hand of external actors.

In a controversial move, on Friday for the second time in five months and announced midterm elections on November 12 and 19, following a prolonged political stalemate. Both Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress separately staked claims of support from the majority of the lawmakers in the Assembly, but the President deemed that both claims were insufficient. Mr. Oli had lost a trust vote in the Assembly on May 10, garnering the support of only 93 of the 232 legislators, but Mr. Deuba also could not form a government under his leadership after failing to secure enough support, leaving Mr. Oli to be reappointed on May 13. The vertical division within the Janbadi Samajwadi Party with the Mahanta Thakur-Rajendra Mahato-led faction unwilling to support the opposition alliance of the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Center) put paid to Mr. Deuba’s hopes. Mr. Oli had 30 days to prove majority support, but this was not forthcoming because of the lack of support from the Madhav Nepal-Jhalanath Khanal led faction within his own Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). Also read: