Lumbini CM Pokharel's resignation accepted

Lumbini Province Governor Amik Sherchan endorsed the resignation tendered by Chief Minister Shankar Pokharel today as per Article 169 (1) of the Constitution.

The office of the Province Governor stated in a press statement that the resignation of the CM Pokharel has been accepted and the existing Council of Ministers will take charge until another cabinet is formed.

Pokharel, who was appointed as the Chief Minister in accordance with Article 168 (1) of the Constitution in May this year, resigned from the post after his government fell into a minority.

The opposition alliance has proposed CPN (Maoist Centre)’s parliamentary leader Kul Prasad KC as the future Chief Minister of Lumbini.

Pokhrel was elected to the Province Assembly from the Dang constituency 2 (1) through the electoral alliance between the CPN UML and the CPN MC.

In the resignation letter, Pokhrel stated that though the Constitution did not entertain the vote of no-confidence against the Chief Minister appointed as per Article 188 (4) until the first two years of the appointment on the post, he was aware of trying to seek the vote of confidence at an appropriate time bearing in mind the issues raised in the Province Assembly for some time, and thus his resignation from the post.

He said he was resigning from the post in accordance with Article 169 (1) of the Constitution to pave the way out of the existing political confusion.

Thirty-four province assembly members of four parties in the opposition alliance had filed a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister for the third time on August 3. Before this, no-trust motion was filed against CM Pokhrel on April 19.

Pokhrel had tendered his resignation in the morning of May 2, the day when a meeting was called to hold a discussion on the no-trust motion. He was appointed to the post of Chief Minister for the second time on the same day, claiming the solo majority of the CPN UML.

Out of the 87-member province assembly, there are now 80 members. There is a need for 41 province assembly members to form a majority government. It is said that the opposition alliance has 41 members — 19 from the Nepali Congress, 18 from CPN MC, three from Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal and one from Janamorcha.

Pokharel has shared that his government became successful to formulate a periodic plan of the province within a year of the formation of the government, adding effective activities were carried out during his term.