Maoists do U-turn, Oli government survives in Nepal

Kathmandu, May 5: A day after giving a call for a tiol unity government under its leadership, ruling alliance partner UCPN (Maoist), in a dramatic U-turn, decided on Thursday not to withdraw support to the K.P. Sharma Oli government “as of now”. The Maoist party on Wednesday decided to form a new government by toppling the Oli government by withdrawing support to it after main opposition Nepali Congress offered the prime minister’s post to Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda. The Maoists also issued a public statement to the effect that the party will take a lead to form a new government under its own leadership. After the Maoists’ about-turn on Thursday, the Nepali Congress said the UCPN (Maoist) “betrayed” them at the last moment. Though it is not known what exactly transpired and why the Maoists did a U-turn, it is being speculated that a secret agreement between Oli and Prachanda was the main reason behind the Maoists’ about-turn, sources said. (IANS)