Hetauda, August 24
Newly appointed Bagmati Province Chief Minister Kiran Thapa Magar is taking a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly today.
He is seeking the vote of confidence under Article 168(4) of Nepal’s Constitution and Rule 143 of the Bagmati Province Assembly Regulations, 2074.
A Provincial Assembly meeting has been called today at 1 PM for the vote.
Coalition partner CPN (Nepal Communist Party) has already issued a whip directing its 26 Provincial Assembly members to vote in favour of Chief Minister Thapa Magar. CPN Bagmati parliamentary party Chief Whip Ratna Prasad Dhakal has instructed lawmakers to attend the meeting without fail and vote in favour of the confidence motion.
Chief Minister Thapa’s own party, UML, has also issued a whip requiring mandatory attendance and a vote in favour.
However, disagreement persists within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which had also supported the government. RPP Chief Whip Kumari Tamang issued a whip on Sunday directing her party’s Provincial Assembly members to vote against the confidence motion.
The pro-government faction within RPP, represented by Water Supply Minister Raju Bista, has said Tamang was removed from the position of chief whip even before the government was formed. RPP Bagmati Province parliamentary party leader Uddhav Thapa had already removed Tamang from the chief whip position earlier.
Thapa was appointed Chief Minister in August 20 with the backing of UML, CPN, and RPP. However, a dispute erupted within RPP over its support for the government formation.
RPP has already taken action against Bagmati Province parliamentary party leader Uddhav Thapa, accusing him of supporting the Chief Minister against the party central committee’s decision.
The party’s Central Disciplinary Committee has also sought clarification from three RPP ministers serving in the government.
The attendance and voting decisions of RPP’s 12 Provincial Assembly members during the confidence vote have become the biggest point of interest right now.
