Kathmandu, Oct. 18: Chief Minister of Koshi Province Kedar Karki is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Karki has officially submitted a notice to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat to seek a vote of confidence.

To facilitate the confidence vote, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat issued a notice on Monday morning announcing that the meeting of the Provincial Assembly postponed earlier on October 7 will reconvene on October 18. 

According to Article 168 (4)  of the constitution,  a person appointed to the post of the Chief Minister should take a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly within 30 days of the appointment. 

Political party leaders have expressed the view that Chief Minister Karki, despite having ample time for a floor test, hurriedly pursued a vote of confidence to advance the ties with the ruling coalition party and CPN-UML in a proper manner.

Chief Minister Karki, who formed the government going against the agreements made within the central ruling coalition and the written understanding between Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala and the ruling parties, is in favour of advancing the political campaign after securing the floor test.

He has a plan to pave the way for both the government and the opposition after securing the vote of confidence, as there is no chance of bringing the CPN-UML and the ruling coalition together. 

Koshi Province Chief Parshuram Khapung had appointed Karki as the Chief Minister on October 14. 

The ruling coalition has asserted Karki as their Chief Minister, whereas he was appointed as the Chief Minister with the backing of 39 members of the provincial assembly elected from the CPN-UML. 

In such a situation, CM Karki is facing challenges in making a decision on whether to align with the CPN-UML or the coalition. He seems confident that the situation will improve after securing the vote of confidence.

Following Chief Minister Karki’s decision to seek a vote of confidence, a meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre) Koshi province office took place on Monday afternoon.

The meeting discussed whether or not to extend a vote of confidence to Chief Minister Karki. The meeting concluded that there might be a situation in which extending a vote of confidence to Chief Minister Karki was deemed appropriate.

Chakrapani Khanal ‘Baldev,’ the Province in-charge of CPN (MC), mentioned, “The meeting has not officially decided to provide a vote of confidence, but we have reached a point where there is a possibility of extending him a vote of confidence.”