Failed to adopt identity-based name for Province 1 due to unfavorable arithmetic: Angbo

CPN (Maoist Center) has repented that Province 1 could not be named based on identity owing to the unfavorable arithmetic of the Provincial Assembly.

Issuing a statement, Parliamentary Party leader of the CPN (Maoist Center) Province 1, Indra Bahadur Angbo alias Mausam regretted for failing to adopt a name on the basis of identity despite being in favor of it.

“We are saddened along with the people of the province who are in favor of common identity because of our failure to name the province based on identity,” reads the statement issued by his party.

The two-thirds majority of the Province Assembly have already named Province 1 as 'Koshi Province'.  Angbo said his party will render efforts in collaboration with pro-identity forces and pick the name for the province in the future.

“We pledge to continue efforts to give the province an identity-based name with two-thirds of pro-identity forces in the future,” Angbo said.

The Maoist Center issued the press note to give clarification after ethnic-based groups vented ire over the party for dropping the identity-based agenda.

Ethnic-based groups have been unhappy with the new name ‘Koshi Province’ and have vowed to launch a strong agitation against it, terming ‘Falgun 17’ ‘Black Day.’

Of the 93-member Province Assembly of Province 1, 82 lawmakers voted for Koshi Province, four lawmakers from CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party voted against the motion while seven lawmakers including speaker Baburam Gautam abstained from voting.

CPN (UML) lawmaker Ram Bahadur Rana Magar proposed the name and it was seconded by Niran Rai of UML and Bhumi Prasad Rajbanshi of Nepali Congress.

In Province 1, UML has 40 lawmakers, NC 29, Maoist Center 13, Rastriya Prajatantra Party six, CPN (Unified Socialist) four and Janata Samajbadi Party has one lawmaker.