Nepal’s communist parties join forces to form a new coalition government

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s two largest communist parties joined forces to form a new coalition government that would include smaller parties as partners. Maoist party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal will remain the prime minister a year after he was elected to the office. Dahal has ended his partnership with the Nepali Congress party which is the largest group in parliament. He is joining forces with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) which is the second-biggest party. Dahal appointed three new ministers on Monday who were sworn in to office by President Ram Chandra Poudel in Kathmandu. The Cabinet is expected to be expanded through negotiations between the new partners in the coalition government.