COMMUNISTS withdrew from Nepal’s government today to join long-time rival party the Nepali Congress in a new coalition, as pressure builds on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to resign.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), the country’s second-largest party, announced that it was withdrawing support for Mr Dahal and all its ministers resigned on Wednesday night.

Leaders of the communists and of the Nepali Congress, the largest party, had signed an agreement on Tuesday to form a new partnership to govern for the remaining three years before the next general election.