Shankar Pokharel, who resigned as chief minister (CM) earlier on Sunday to avoid no-confidence motion, has been reappointed Lumbini CM.
Governor Dharmanath Prasad Yadav has appointed parliamentary party leader of UML Pokharel as the new CM as per Article 168(1) of the Constitution which states 'The Provincial Head shall appoint the leader of the parliamentary party with majority in the Provincial Assembly as the Chief Minister and the Provincial Council of Ministers shall be formed under the chairpersonship of the Chief Minister.'
Governor Yadav, a formal UML leader appointed by PM Oli, has reappointed Pokharel despite 40 lawmakers of Lumbini meeting him in the afternoon and requesting him to stop swearing in of Pokharel as CM pointing that he does not have majority in the provincial assembly.
There are 87 seats in the provincial assembly of Lumbini. CPN-UML claims it has 41 lawmakers that is enough for majority in the assembly that is only 81-strong now after Maoist Center expelled two lawmakers who joined UML and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) expelled four lawmakers who joined the Pokharel Cabinet after the no-confidence motion was registered on April 19.
But Maoist Center lawmaker Dana Sharma claimed that Bimala Oli, who was elected on ticket of the then CPN formed after unification of CPN-UML and Maoist Center, has opted to join Maoist Center. "She had the option to choose a party (after the SC invalidated unification of UML and Maoist Center) and has accordingly chosen Maoist Center. We are happy with this," Sharma told Setopati.
If Oli joins Maoist Center, UML will have only 40 lawmakers which is not sufficient to form majority government.
