Amid mounting pressure from CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and other leaders to resign, Koshi Chief Minister Hikmat Karki has finally spoken out on the matter.
Following a meeting in Biratnagar with party provincial in-charge Sherdhan Rai, who had arrived carrying Oli's message demanding his resignation, Chief Minister Karki shared his views with journalists on Monday.
During the interaction, he said that his government was formed under Article 168(5) of the Constitution and emphasized that the government will proceed in its own manner.
Challenging Oli openly for the first time in his political career based on constitutional provisions and internal power struggles within the party, Karki has maintained that he will only resign if an official decision comes from the party committee.
"I did not become chief minister merely by being the parliamentary party leader," he said after the meeting. "This government was formed by securing the vote of confidence of more than 65 provincial assembly members. This is a government under Sub-article 5 and it will move forward on its own terms."
Reiterating that he remains both the UML parliamentary party leader and the chief minister, Karki claimed that various speculations appearing in the media were not based on facts.
He shared that during the meeting, the in-charge instructed them to implement the three-point agreement reached between the the Nepali Communist Party and the UML, and to move forward by keeping the parliamentary party united.
Acknowledging that discussions regarding the government's leadership are ongoing within the party, he expressed confidence that the "small knot" mentioned by Rai would soon be untied.
When asked about what transpired in Monday's meeting, he said, "The in-charge said that a small knot remains to be untied. That could be the matter regarding who leads the provincial government. But I feel there is no major problem or knot there. Even if there is a knot, it will become clear."
Karki also dismissed rumors that party Chairman Oli had asked him to clear the way.
"There has been no such conversation between him and me at present. He has asked how we should move forward, and I have also clearly stated my views," he said.
Regarding speculations that signatures were being collected within the parliamentary party to file a no-confidence motion against him, Karki said that he had received no formal information about it.
"I have heard rumors, but I haven't felt any trace of it," he said.
