Opposition parties cry foul after Gandaki Chief Minister (CM) Prithvi Subba Gurung ended provincial assembly session preempting no-confidence motion against his government.
Governor Amik Sherchan ended the assembly session effective from Wednesday midnight on recommendation of the provincial government even as the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) was preparing to register the motion Thursday with support of CPN (Maoist Center), Rashtriya Janamorcha and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP).
"The emotion that the government has showed is political deception, immoral," NC parliamentary party leader Krishna Chandra Nepali told Setopati. "We will move forward in a systematic manner."
Nepali said the opposition will discuss how to move forward now that the assembly session has been suddenly ended. The parties had agreed to oust CM Gurung and replace him with Nepali.
Parliamentary party leader of Maoist Center Hari Bahadur Chuman said the no-confidence motion will be registered even after calling an emergency session pointing at Article 183(3) of the Constitution that allows one-fourth of the lawmakers to call a special session when the provincial assembly is not in session or has been adjourned. "The meeting will again have to be called even if the session has ended for now."
He revealed that the meeting of opposition parties to be held later Thursday will decide whether to call special assembly session or oust the government during the budget session in May.
UML has 27 lawmakers in the 59-strong provincial assembly. NC has 15 seats, Maoist Center 12, and Janamorcha and JSP two each in the province, and they together can muster majority in the assembly.
Independent lawmaker Rajeev Gurung (Deepak Manange), who had won the election with support of UML, is saying he will contest for the post of CM himself.