Biratnagar, Aug 3: A power struggle has intensified within the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), with Koshi Chief Minister Hekmat Kumar Karki facing mounting pressure from his own party to step down.
Karki, who was appointed chief minister under Article 168(5) of Nepal’s Constitution, is reportedly at odds with UML Chair K. P. Sharma Oli. Party insiders say General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has been backing Karki.
The UML holds 40 seats in the 93-member Koshi Provincial Assembly, making it the largest party. Its numerical strength has allowed Karki to become the province’s longest-serving chief minister of the current assembly term, remaining in office for 34 months.
However, Oli is now reportedly preparing to replace Karki with Til Kumar Menyangbo. UML Koshi Province in-charge Sher Dhan Rai has begun lobbying lawmakers to support the change and has already urged Karki to resign, saying it reflects Oli’s wishes.
Sources close to Karki said he has refused to step down, insisting that since he was appointed under Article 168(5), he will not resign merely at the request of the party chair. He has argued that any leadership change should come through a formal party decision.
Rai, however, reportedly countered that previous appointments and leadership changes were also made on the chair’s decision without requiring a formal secretariat meeting. If necessary, he said, the provincial committee could endorse the move.
The UML establishment has now started lobbying lawmakers to remove Karki as parliamentary party leader if he refuses to resign. According to party sources, Rai spent the weekend meeting provincial lawmakers to gather support.
Under the UML parliamentary party statute, removing the parliamentary party leader requires a two-thirds majority. Since the deputy speaker cannot vote, only 39 UML lawmakers are eligible to participate, meaning at least 26 votes would be needed.
Sources say the establishment camp has already secured the backing of 26 lawmakers, while Karki has the support of around 11, with two remaining undecided. Some leaders close to Karki admit it is becoming increasingly difficult to prevent the party from reaching the required threshold.
Even if Karki is removed as parliamentary party leader, he cannot automatically be removed as chief minister. Since he was appointed under Article 168(5), he can remain in office unless he resigns or loses a vote of no-confidence in the Provincial Assembly.
According to sources, the UML has begun informal discussions with coalition partners about filing a no-confidence motion. UML leader Sher Dhan Rai recently met Nepal Communist Party parliamentary leader Indra Bahadur Angbo to gauge his party’s position. Angbo said he told Rai that his party does not want to become involved in the UML’s internal dispute and urged the party to settle the matter internally.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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