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Poudel sworn in as Prov 3 CM
CPN-UML Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Dormani Poudel took oath of office and secrecy as chief minister of Province 3 on Monday.Nagendra Adhikari & Pratap Bista
CPN-UML Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Dormani Poudel took oath of office and secrecy as chief minister of Province 3 on Monday.
Governor Anuradha Koirala administered Poudel the oath amid a function organised at the office of provincial chief. Speaker Sanu Kumar Shrestha was present at the ceremony.
Poudel is the first person to be appointed as chief minister among seven provinces of federal Nepal.
In accordance with Article 168 (1) of the constitution, Poudel has been appointed the chief minister as he is the PP leader of the UML that has a clear majority in the Provincial Assembly (PA).
In the 110-member Assembly in Province 3, the UML has 58 members while the CPN (Maoist Centre) has 23 and the Nepali Congress 21 seats. The Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Loktantrik and Naya Shakti Party Nepal also have their representatives in the largest provincial assembly.
After taking the oath, CM Poudel visited the Martyr Memorial Park and offered floral tributes to the martyrs.
Assumed his office the same day, Poudel signed three regulations to convene the first meeting of the provincial council of ministers. Addressing a function organised at his office, Poudel pledged development of Province 3 through the uptimum utilisation of resources.
Poudel later expanded the provincial cabinet, drafting in two ministers—PA member Shalikram Jamkattel of the Maoist Centre as Minister for Internal Affairs and UML member Keshav Sthapit as Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development. The minister duo also took oath of office and secrecy from Governor Koirala in the presence of CM Poudel.
Poudel, who was elected mayor of Hetauda Municipality in 1992 and 1997, is an expert on local governance. Under his mayorship Hetauda was declared “best town” in the country. He had also worked as chairman of the Nepal Municipality Association for 15 years. He was appointed the member of Local Level Restructuring Commission after the promulgation of a new constitution in 2015.
Rai claims CM post in Province 1
In Biratnagar, the UML registered an application at the Province 1 office to form the provincial government on Monday. The party, which commands a clear majority in the PA, has demanded for appointment of its PP leader as the province's chief minister. The UML has already elected Sherdhan Rai as its PP leader. Governor Gobinda Bahadur Tumbahang is set to appoint Rai as the CM on Wednesday.
Similarly, the governor’s office in Province 5 is also scheduled to appoint the chief minister on Wednesday. “The chief minister will be appointed immediately after the election of the speaker,” said Governor Umakanta Jha, who will administer the oath to UML PP leader Shankar Pokharel as the province's chief minister on Wednesday.
Gurung appointed Province 4 CM
In Pokhara, CPN-UML Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Prithvi Subba Gurung has been appointed as the Chief Minister (CM) of Province 4. Provincial Chief Baburam Kunwar appointed Gurung as the CM in accordance with Article 168 (2) of the constitution on Monday.
Gurung, who won the election to the PA from Lamjung (B), was unanimously elected as the UML parliamentary party leader at a meeting on Sunday. He is scheduled to take oath of office and secrecy at the governor's office on Wednesday. “The cabinet will be expanded soon. The provincial govt will make laws and carry out development activities,” said CM-elect Gurung.
(With inputs from our correspondents in Pokhara, Biratnagar and Butwol)
Province 6 govt plan hits a snag
Surkhet
Formation of provincial government has hit a snag in Province 6 after the CPN-UML set conditions to its ally CPN (Maoist Centre) to run the provincial government on a rotation basis.
During a meeting of the left alliance on Monday, the UML proposed a rotational government and share of ministerial berths. A party source said that the UML demanded the Maoist Centre give its clear views on time of the government leadership, size of the Cabinet and share of the ministries between the two parties.
As per the agreement between the two parties, the Maoist Centre would lead the provincial government and a UML candidate would be elected as the speaker. UML leader Raj Bahadur Shahi was elected speaker unopposed on Sunday, while Maoist Centre Parliamentary Party leader Mahendra Mahadur Shahi is set to be appointed as the chief minister.