DHANGADHI, Aug 19: Sudurpashchim Province Chief Minister Khag Raj Bhatta is set to seek a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly today.
Bhatta is seeking the vote in line with the constitutional provision requiring a chief minister appointed under Article 168 (2) of the Constitution to secure a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly within 30 days of appointment.
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Province Assembly Secretariat Secretary Dev Bahadur Bogati said the meeting has been scheduled for 1 pm today after Chief Minister Bhatta sent a letter to the secretariat on Tuesday requesting that time be arranged for him to seek the vote of confidence.
At the meeting, Bhatta will table a proposal seeking the assembly’s vote of confidence. Provincial assembly members will then express their views on the proposal, followed by the voting process.
Bhatta was appointed chief minister on August 14. Appointed with the support of the CPN UML, he plans to expand his Cabinet after securing the vote of confidence.
The 10-member provincial Cabinet is supposed to have seven ministers and two state ministers, in addition to the chief minister. At present, however, only three ministers and one state minister are in office. Bhatta is also handling the portfolios of Internal Affairs and Law, Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, and Physical Infrastructure Development.
The provincial assembly currently has 22 members from the Nepali Communist Party led by Bhatta, 18 from the Nepali Congress, 11 from the CPN UML, and one from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
