HETAUDA, AUGUST 3
Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya on Monday said he would step down only after the newly formed ruling alliance demonstrates it has a clear majority to form the next government.
Speaking at an all-party meeting in Lalitpur, Baniya said he would not resign unless the new alliance presents a constitutional basis and sufficient numbers to replace the incumbent government.
Leaders of the new alliance comprising the CPN-UML and the Nepali Communist Party had urged the chief minister to make way for a new government. NCP Bagmati parliamentary party leader Shalik Ram Jamkattel thanked Baniya for initiating dialogue and suggested either following the constitutional process to test the government's majority or resigning. He expressed confidence that the alliance would soon move ahead with government formation.
CPN-UML Bagmati parliamentary party leader and the alliance's proposed chief ministerial candidate Jagannath Thapaliya said the minority government should not be prolonged artificially and urged Baniya to pave the way for the new coalition after the withdrawal of support by coalition partners.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) parliamentary party leader Uddhav Thapa said his party would not remain undecided for long but had yet to make a final decision on supporting a new government. Nepal Workers and Peasants Party leader Surendra Gosain said his party was not involved in government formation efforts.
The UML withdrew its support from the Baniya-led government on July 22, requiring the chief minister to seek a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly by August 21 under the Constitution.
Under a power-sharing agreement reached between the UML and the CPN on July 25, the UML is set to lead the next Bagmati government. However, the two parties together command only 51 seats in the 104-member Provincial Assembly, two short of the 53 required to form a majority government, making the RPP's support crucial. With the RPP yet to announce its decision, the process of government formation remains uncertain.
The current arithmetic follows the resignation of six provincial assembly members who contested the House of Representatives election in February. The resignations reduced the number of occupied seats from 110 to 104 and lowered the majority threshold to 53. The situation is further complicated by the role of UML lawmaker Apsara Chapagain, the deputy speaker currently performing the duties of speaker. While she may sign in support of government formation, she cannot normally vote in a confidence motion unless there is a tie, leaving the alliance effectively short of numbers.