Nepal's new PM Oli wins vote of confidence in Parliament secures two-thirds majority

    Kathmandu, Jul 21 (PTI) Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, who won a crucial floor test in Parliament on Sunday with more than a two-thirds majority, vowed to begin a "new chapter" in Nepali politics, nearly a week after he was sworn in to lead a coalition government in the politically unstable Himalayan nation.
    Oli secured 188 votes in favour of the Vote of Confidence motion tabled by him while 74 votes were cast against him. Out of a total of 263 members of the House of Representatives who were present, one member abstained.
    Oli, 72, required 138 votes to pass the floor test in the lower house of Parliament.
    "I declare that the motion of the vote of confidence tabled by Prime Minister Oli has been endorsed with a majority," announced Speaker Devraj Ghimire after the counting of votes.
    "We have to build a modern, systematic, and democratic society. It does not mean anarchism. Democracy and anarchism are two different things. Democracy without anarchism, disciplined democracy. We need a kind of comprehensive democracy, not just in one sector. Democracy not in word but in practice," the veteran Communist leader said.
    "The Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) CPN-UML are working towards this direction. I think other parties are also understanding this fact. Let’s begin a new chapter in Nepali politics," Oli said.
    With Oli getting more than a two-thirds majority, the new coalition government is expected to amend the Constitution.
    According to Nepal's Constitution, Oli needed to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of appointment. He was sworn in on Monday as Nepal's Prime Minister for a fourth time.
    Earlier while tabling the motion seeking a vote of confidence in his government, Oli made public the content of the seven-point agreement reached between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML earlier this month.
    Oli said that the agreement between the two major parties was part of the two largest parties’ efforts to address the country's pressing issues.
    "We [the two parties] compete in our ideologies, but there are instances of collaboration between the Congress and the UML,” he said.
    "This is a continuation of that collaboration. We have agreed to work together to protect national interests, control corruption, improve governance, expedite development activities, and ensure political stability, in accordance with the people's desire," Oli said.
    Oli said his government will neither tolerate corruption nor let it happen. He said the government will confidently move forward for good governance.
    Responding to issues raised by lawmakers, Oli said, “I was not and will not get involved in corruption neither will tolerate if any one practices so.”
    He said the planned amendment to the Constitution is for the interest of the country and the welfare of the people.
    "We are amending the Constitution to make it more effective, safeguard democracy and guaranteeing good governance and to move forward the pace of development,” said Oli.
    He also rejected the charges that he committed land embezzlement during he previous tenure.
    Lawmakers belonging to the ruling alliance Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal were among those who voted in favour of Oli’s Vote of Confidence motion.
    Opposition parties CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Rashtriya Swotantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party among others voted against Oli during the floor test.
    Oli was sworn in on Monday as Nepal's prime minister and was administered the oath of office and secrecy along with 21 other members of the Cabinet.
    Meanwhile, Nepal's Supreme Court on Sunday forwarded a petition challenging Oli's appointment as the country's prime minister to a constitutional bench, citing the need for a ‘serious constitutional interpretation’.
    Within hours of his swearing-in on Monday, three advocates filed the petition at the apex court, arguing that Oli's appointment was unconstitutional and sought a mandamus order to annul it.
    The Chairman of the CPN-UML, Nepal's largest communist party was appointed as prime minister on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead the coalition government with the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in Parliament, apart from other smaller parties.
    Oli succeeded Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on July 12.
    The CPN-UML Chairman now leads the new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation.
    Nepal has faced frequent political turmoil as the country has seen 14 governments in the past 16 years after the introduction of the Republican system.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)