Amid a debate on whether the prime minister should seek a vote of confidence following the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s decision to withdraw its support to the government, the ruling coalition has drawn a conclusion that the floor test is unnecessary.

The ruling partners, at a meeting of the coalition on Saturday, drew the conclusion even though constitutional experts are divided on the issue.

“The constitution states that withdrawal of support by the party that has only backed the government without joining the Cabinet does not require a vote of confidence,” said Hitraj Pande, chief whip of the CPN (Maoist Centre).

Pande said the RSP supported the government without joining the Cabinet and therefore the leaders present at the meeting said there is no need to seek a trust vote.

Article 100(2) of the Constitution of Nepal states that the prime minister shall table a motion for a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives if the party which the prime minister represents is divided or the party in the government withdraws its support.

RSP, the fourth largest party in the House of Representatives, had initially joined the government with three ministers and a state minister but later it decided to quit the government after the prime minister refused to reinstate the party’s president Rabi Lamichhane as home minister. Lamichhane, who had resigned following the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap his citizenship certificate, had wished to be reinstated as home minister after reacquiring the citizenship certificate.

When Prime Minister Dahal sought a vote of confidence for the second time on March 20, the RSP backed the government.

After failing to reach an agreement with the prime minister, the new party’s joint meeting of the central committee and the parliamentary party on Friday decided to withdraw its support to the government.