Nepal's key Madhesi party SP-N quits Oli govt

Samajwadi Party-Nepal (SP-N), a key Madhesi party, on Tuesday, withdrew its support to the Nepal Communist Party government after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli rejected its proposal for a constitutional amendment. SP-N Chairperson Upendra Yadav, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Urban Development Minister Mohmad Istiyak Rai tendered their resignation to Prime Minister Oli.

While joining the government last year, SP-N had reached a three-point agreement with the leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party. The party's demands include restructuring of the state, federalism along with ethnic identity and rights of Madhesis and other marginalized groups and citizenship, the party's vice-chairperson, Hisila Yami said. "However, the prime minister did not fulfill the demand that compelled us to quit the government," she added.

With the withdrawal of support by the Madhesi party, the Oli government is no more a two-third majority government. SP-N has 17 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives in which the ruling NCP has 174 seats. Earlier, the government had the support of 191 Parliament Members. It needs at least 183 lawmakers' support for a two-third majority government. As per the Nepalese Constitution, the two-third majority is required for a constitutional amendment.

In his resignation, Yadav said he decided to resign with immediate effect after SP-N Chairperson Yadav's proposal, in the capacity of deputy prime minister and law minister, for constitution amendments was rejected, Yami said. The decision to quit the government comes days after the ruling Nepal Communist Party reached an electoral alliance for the National Assembly with Rashtriya Janata Party, another Madhes-based party in Parliament.