CPN-UML leader Hikmat Kumar Karki has been appointed chief minister of Koshi province for a second time.
Koshi province chief Parshuram Khapung appointed Karki chief minister of the province according to Article 168 (3) of the Constitution on Friday. He also administered the oath of office and secrecy to Karki.
Karki was appointed chief minister for the first time on January 8. He was removed from the post after failing a floor test on June 30. But Karki was appointed chief minister for a second time after the Supreme Court invalidated the floor test passed by Koshi chief minister Thapa.
The full bench including Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Chudal and Nahakul Subedi hearing the writ petition filed against the provincial government of Koshi on Thursday had also ruled that the person chairing the proceedings of provincial assembly cannot vote in the floor test. It had also issued a mandamus ordering formation of a new government as per Article 168 (3) of the Constitution within 48 hours.
"In cases where the Chief Minister cannot be appointed pursuant to clause (2) within thirty days after the date of declaration of the final results of election to the Provincial Assembly the Chief Minister so appointed fails to secure a vote of confidence pursuant to clause (4), the Chief of Province shall appoint as the Chief Minister the parliamentary party leader of the party which has the highest number of members in the Provincial Assembly," states Article 168 (3) of the Constitution.
CPN-UML is the largest party in the provincial assembly.
Chief Minister Karki has appointed three ministers and a minister of state.
Til Kumar Menyangbo is the energy minister, Panchkarna Rai the forest minister and Ekraj Karki the minister for physical infrastructure. Srijana Rai is the minister of state for social development. They also took the oath on Friday.
