Communist rift plunges Nepal's ruling coalition into crisis

Splits within Nepal's communist-dominated coalition plunged the Himalayan nation into crisis on Monday as a Marxist-Leninist party said it would withdraw support after the Maoist prime minister backed an opposition candidate for the presidency.

Nestled between China and India, Nepal has had 11 governments since it abolished its 239-year monarchy in 2008 and became a republic. The current prime minister, a former Maoist guerrilla leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal has held the post three times.

Elected in December, the prime minister, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda, formed a seven-party coalition comprised of his own Maoist Centre party, the Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and five other smaller groups.

Last week, Prachanda infuriated the UML by pledging support for the opposition Nepali Congress party's presidential candidate, Ram Chandra Paudel.

Prachanda had earlier agreed to support a UML candidate for the presidency, according to politicians in the coalition.

Members of both houses of parliament and members of seven provincial assemblies will cast their votes on March 9 to elect the president - a largely ceremonial position, though it can play a key role during political crises.

Bishnu Paudel, deputy prime minister in charge of finance, and a senior UML leader, said he and all eight ministers of his party will resign as Prachanda failed to "honour the consensus" that was reached while forming the government.

"We'll also withdraw support to the coalition government," Paudel told Reuters after a party meeting.

Four ministers, including a deputy prime minister from another party, also quit the government over the weekend due to the same issue.

Political analysts said Prachanda, whose party controls 32 seats in the 275-member parliament, must face a confidence vote within 30 days.

He is likely to win that vote with support from the Congress party, and form a new coalition that includes Congress and other smaller groups.

Prachanda has worked with Congress before, and political analysts say the Maoist leader is more comfortable with Congress than he is with the Marxist Leninists.