Nepal’s president held talks with leaders of three main political parties yesterday to come up with a consensus candidate for prime minister and try to end revolving-door politics that has seen 23 governments in 26 years.
Prime Minister K P Oli, facing defeat in a no-confidence vote in parliament brought by his allies, the former Maoist rebels, resigned on Sunday, opening the way for a political tussle to lead the country of 28mn people.
President Vidhya Devi Bhandari had invited Oli, Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and the leader of the Nepali Congress party, Sher Bahadur Deuba, to discuss a new government, an aide to the president said.
“The meeting is to tell them to move ahead unitedly,” president aide Bhesh Raj Adhikari said. “The country has many problems and all major parties must unite to resolve them.”
Nepal has been in a political crisis since September when a constituent assembly approved a new constitution amid a political row with minority Madhesis in the southern plains over the creation of federal states under the new system.
Ethnic Madhesis, who have long complained of neglect by a ruling elite drawn from the hill region, said the creation of the states would marginalise them by dividing their homeland.
Maoist chief Prachanda said the outgoing administration failed to address grievances of the plains people. He is considered the frontrunner to succeed Oli, with the support of the Nepali Congress.
Oli’s communist UML party said it would not support the Maoists’ bid for power after they had brought down Oli’s government.
“There is no possibility of us joining,” senior UML official Pradip Gyawali said. “We’ll 
remain a strong opposition.”
Political instability has played out against the backdrop of a contest for influence between neighbours India and China.
India has long considered the Himalayan nation its area of influence, and has often faced accusations of interference from Nepal.
India rejects the allegations but has grown concerned about China’s involvement in Nepal’s infrastructure development.
Prospects for stability remain dim, at least until elections scheduled for 2018, analysts say.
“Nepal’s leaders have once more demonstrated that they are obsessed with politics as usual at a time when they should be working to rescue the economy,” said Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times weekly.
Nepal’s economy grew by 0.77% in the year to July 15, the lowest rate since 2001/02.