Koshi CM Karki to seek vote of confidence today

BIRATNAGAR, May 13: Koshi Chief Minister (CM) Hikmat Kumar Karki is going to seek a vote of confidence today.

Karki, who was appointed as the Chief Minister on May 9, held a Cabinet meeting on the same day and decided to recommend to the Province Chief for convening the annual session of the Provincial Assembly.

On the recommendation of the government, the province chief Parshuram Khapung has called a session of the provincial assembly to be held at 11AM today.

CM Karki has prepared to seek the vote of confidence from today's meeting. For which he has already submitted a notice in the Provincial Assembly Secretariat.

NC is preparing to boycott the meeting where Chief Minister Karki will take the vote of confidence. While the writ petition against the Chief Minister's appointment process is pending in the Supreme Court, the Nepali Congress has said that it will boycott Chief Minister Karki citing haste in CM Karki’s move to seek the vote of confidence.

Outgoing Chief Minister Kedar Karki said that a meeting of Nepali Congress office-bearers and former office-bearers in Kathmandu instructed them to boycott the trust vote process.

According to Article 168 of the Constitution, the Chief Minister Kedar Karki, who was appointed on October 17, 2023, did not receive a vote of confidence after the partner party withdrew his support. Provincial Chief Khapung concluded that he was relieved of his post and called for the formation of a new government on May 8.

On May 9, Hikmat Karki was appointed Chief Minister on the same day after submitting the support of 52 provincial lawmakers from UML and Maoists. On the same day, Chief Minister Karki included one leader each of UML and Maoist in the cabinet.

After taking the vote of confidence, he plans to expand the cabinet.