Key party withdraws from Nepal fragile coalition government

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A key party has pulled out of Nepal’s ruling coalition, forcing the prime minister to seek a vote of confidence in Parliament. Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), the biggest party in Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s coalition, was angered by his decision to back an opposition candidate in next week’s presidential election. It is the third party to withdraw from the government since it was formed in December after no party managed to secure a majority in the November parliamentary elections. Political turmoil and frequent changes in government are nothing new in Nepal, where eight different governments have ruled in the past 10 years. The constitution says Dahal would have to seek a vote of confidence within a month.