Caretaker Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Hikmat Karki, has said the government can be formed by sharing the tenure half-way with the Nepali Congress.
Karki, who was reinstated by the Supreme Court on Thursday, said so while talking to journalists at Biratnagar this morning.
“If the NC comes clear, we are ready to give the chief minister to the Nepali Congress and share the tenure halfway. We are open about it,” said Karki, who is also the CPN (UML) parliamentary party leader of Koshi Province.
He further said that he will stake a claim for the post of Chief Minister with the support of other parties on August 2 in line with Article 168 (2) of the Constitution. “We have 40 seats. We are initiating dialogues with the other parties,” said he.
Karki had been appointed as the Chief Minister with the support of CPN (Maoist Center) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) on January 8.
The two parties pulled out of the government following a change in the power equation in the center. Following the exit of the Maoist Center and the JSP, Karki tried to take the vote of confidence on June 30, but failed to secure it.
In the 93-member province assembly, at least 47 lawmakers are required to form the government. But he received only 46 votes – one vote less than the required number of votes to secure the vote of confidence.
NC parliamentary party leader of Koshi Province Uddhav Thapa was appointed as the Chief Minister on July 6 with the support of speaker Baburam Gautam.
UML moved the Supreme Court seeking annulment of Thapa’s appointment as the chief minister, arguing that it is against the Constitution.
The SC cancelled Thapa’s appointment on Thursday saying that it was unconstitutional and reinstated Karki as a caretaker chief minister.
A full bench of Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Til Prasad Shrestha on Thursday cancelled the appointment of Thapa as the chief minister and called on the parties to form a new government in line with Article 168 (2) of the Constitution.
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