The CPN faction of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has decided to boycott the provincial assembly meeting where no-confidence motion against Chief Minister (CM) of Province 1 Sher Dhan Rai will be tabled on Sunday.
A meeting of CM Rai and CPN lawmakers close to him has decided to boycott the meeting concluding that the House cannot function in the current context, and register a written opinion about their boycott in the the provincial assembly secretariat. "The government has taken a decision to boycott today's meeting," a provincial minister told Setopati.
The minister revealed that the meeting also decided to write to Speaker Pradeep Kumar Bhandari for suspension of 16 CPN lawmakers of the Dahal-Nepal faction punished by CM Rai. Speaker Bhandari has already said suspension of the lawmakers is not in accordance to rule.
The meeting called for two Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, has yet to start.
CM Rai put pressure on Speaker Pradeep Kumar Bhandari to stop the provincial assembly meeting during their meeting Sunday morning but Speaker Bhandari ignored that and published the business schedule saying the motion will be discussed in the assembly on Sunday.
The Oli faction has been obstructing House proceedings. The no-confidence motion was earlier scheduled to be tabled on February 7 but Speaker Bhandari called off House meeting for 14 days after obstruction by the lawmakers close to CM Rai.
CM Rai, who had been bragging about the no-confidence motion easily rejected, had recently urged the Dahal-Nepal faction to take back the motion but the latter refused.
A total of 37 CPN lawmakers have registered the no-confidence motion against CM Rai proposing Bhim Acharya as the next CM. Ruling CPN has 67 members in the 93-strong provincial assembly.
The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) can play a decisive role in the province with 21 seats in 93-strong provincial assembly and whichever CPN faction it allies with can mathematically form the government. But the main opposition party has yet to decide which faction to ally with.
