UML pulls out of Nepal govt

A political party in Nepal is called UML (Unified Marxist-Leninist). The UML stated in January 2021 that it was leaving the Nepalese government, citing differences with the nation's new constitution.

Since 2018, when the UML joined forces with the Nepali Congress party to establish a government, it has been a member of Nepal's ruling coalition. Yet, tensions between the two parties had been escalating for a while due to differences over matters like cabinet selections and the allocation of government funds.

The UML's decision to leave the government was brought on by a disagreement over the constitution of Nepal. The UML deemed several clauses in Nepal's new constitution, which President Bidhya Devi Bhandari signed into law in December 2020, to be anti-members of particular ethnic groups.

The UML specifically objected to parts of the new constitution that handed the Madhesi community, who reside in Nepal's southern plains and are of Indian heritage, preferential protection. The UML claimed that these clauses were unreasonable and went against the legal concept of equal treatment.

Nepal's Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, was compelled to restructure his cabinet and seek backing from other political parties to retain a governing coalition after the UML withdrew from it. Although this has been going on, the UML has remained a prominent player in Nepalese politics, promoting its ideas and working to get the constitution altered.

Ultimately, the UML's choice to leave the Nepalese government is a reflection of the country's continuous political and social unrest, particularly about problems of ethnic identity and representation. It is unclear how these conflicts will be resolved and what effect they will have on Nepal's political system in the years to come.