Kathmandu, Aug 25: Ministers from the CPN UML in the Gandaki Provincial Government are set to resign collectively after the party’s Parliamentary Board decided Tuesday to withdraw them from the government.
UML Chief Whip Devka Pahari said the Parliamentary Board decided to immediately recall all four ministers. According to her, the ministers are preparing to submit their resignations together.
“The Parliamentary Board has made the decision. They will submit their resignations collectively,” Pahari said. “We are discussing how to proceed after that.”
The decision follows a broader political realignment at the federal level between the UML and the Nepal Communist Party, which is expected to reshape provincial governments as well. UML leaders said the party is preparing to adjust power sharing in the provinces in line with the new political arrangement at the center.
The UML currently has four ministers in the Gandaki government: Govinda Bahadur Nepali, Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management; Yashoda Rimal, Minister for Industry and Tourism; Bhim Karki, Minister for Agriculture; and Laxman Bahadur Pandey, Minister for Health.
Following the party’s decision, the four ministers will submit their resignations. The chief minister will then have to accept the resignations and reassign responsibility for the ministries.
The UML’s withdrawal is expected to significantly alter the existing power balance in the Gandaki government. Discussions are also likely on bringing other parties or groups into the government under the new political arrangement.
The UML’s decision to leave the Gandaki government comes as parties move to implement their federal level political cooperation at the provincial level. However, the structure of the new government, distribution of ministries and future political alignment remain subject to further negotiations.
The Parliamentary Board’s decision has formally set in motion the process of changing the long standing power arrangement in Gandaki. The chief minister and coalition partners are now expected to begin discussions on restructuring the government and forming a new political partnership.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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