Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lost a vote of confidence in parliament with 124 of 271 members voting against him. But Oli still has a card up his sleeve. President Vidya Devi Bhandari prorogued parliament, leaving Oli in control without having to deal with parliament. What this means in constitutional terms is not clear.
Oli’s fortunes have been waning since last December when he got the president, his ally, to dissolve the House of Representatives but the Supreme Court reinstated the house. He has not only alienated his communist allies but the spreading Covid infection, which he has shown no ability to check, suggests his political innings may not last long.
