KATHMANDU, JULY 29
As the time to form a new government in Koshi province nears, the current ruling alliance partners have intensified their efforts to muster simple majority to form the government.
The governor of Koshi Province has given the parties until August 1 to form the government.
A few days ago, the Supreme Court nullified the appointment of Nepali Congress lawmaker Uddhav Thapa as chief minister of Koshi province. Thapa had formed the government with the support of Koshi Province Assembly Speaker Baburam Gautam, but the SC ruled that the speaker's support was against the constitution. The SC also ruled that the constitution envisaged neutral role for the speaker and he was not supposed to sign any lawmaker's bid to form the government, except in helping break the tie in the House on legislative issues.
The ruling parties' top leaders held discussion twice in Kathmandu today but failed to reach a conclusion. There were media reports that the ruling parties might tell the speaker to resign so that they could have clear majority to form the government.
Nepali Congress lawmaker in Koshi Province Uddhav Thapa, who is the caretaker chief minister, said that it was up to Speaker Baburam Gautam to decide whether he should resign.
CPN-Maoist Centre General Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung said that parties in Koshi Province Assembly would themselves decide on the formation of the new government there.
Anybody desiring to form the government in Koshi province, needs support of 47 members.
The current ruling alliance has only 46 members in the 93-memberAssembly. Rastriya Prajatantra Party has six seats in the assembly but it has so far not extended support to the ruling alliance.
Uddhav Thapa told THT that he would abide by the ruling parties' decision. Thapa has come to Kathmandu for consultation.
Thapa said the ruling alliance also held discussions with RPP leaders in their attempt to seek RPP support in Koshi province.
RPP Parliamentary Party Leader in Koshi province Bhakti Prasad Sitaula said the ruling alliance had approached his party seeking support to form the government and added that the possibility of supporting the alliance could not be ruled out, but that would depend on whether there was congruence among all the parties on issues of nationality, promotion of democracy, good governance and service delivery.
Sitaula said his party lawmakers' support would also depend on how the ruling parties sought to forge partnership with the RPP till the next PA elections. We cannot support any party just because there is a risk of dissolution of the House, Situala added.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 30, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
