Pokhara, March 9

Province 4 Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung today won a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly today with two thirds-majority.

After CM Gurung proposed vote of confidence on his behalf in the assembly meeting, as many as 41 PA lawmakers voted for him while 17 lawmakers voted against him. Gurung was elected to the post of chief minister on February 16 with support from the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre. Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal lawmakers too voted for Gurung today.

Twenty-seven lawmakers from UML, 12 from the CPN-MC and three from the Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal had voted for him. Similarly, NC’s 15 lawmakers and two from Naya Shakti Party- Nepal had voted against Gurung.

After the Supreme Court order, Rajiv Gurung aka Dipak Manange elected to the PA from Manang has consistently remained absent from PA meetings.

Before voting, Gurung had addressed the PA meet and sought opposition parties’ support for the development in the fields of hydro-power, agriculture, tourism and road infrastructure. He also presented the modality of budget. He stressed on the need to make the province prosperous within five years.

Earlier, NC’s Krishna Chandra Nepali and NSP-N’s Harisharan Acharya said that they would not vote for Gurung saying that they would play the role of a constructive opposition.

PA meet endorsed Provincial Assembly Regulation-2018. PA Regulation Drafting Committee President Prabha Koirala had tabled the draft regulation in the PA six days ago.