Kathmandu: Lumbini Province Chief Minister Shankar Pokharel has resigned on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of Province Assembly slated for today to discuss a no-confidence motion filed against him.
CM Pokharel handed over his resignation to Province Chief Amik Sherchan soon after a meeting of the UML Parliamentary Party.
In the resignation letter, Pokharel stated that though the Constitution did not entertain the vote of no-confidence against the Chief Minister appointed as per Article 188 (4) until the first two years of the appointment on the post, he was aware of trying to seek the vote of confidence at an appropriate time bearing in mind the issues raised in the Province Assembly since some time, and thus his resignation from the post.
He said he was resigning from the post in accordance with Article 169 (1) of the Constitution to pave the way out of the existing political confusion.
A no-confidence motion was tabled against CM Pokharel at Province Assembly Secretariat last Tuesday.
It should be noted that opposition parties had filed a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Shankar Pokharel also on April 19 after CPN (Maoist Center) withdrew its support from the government. But Chief Minister Pokharel recommended ending the Province Assembly session and resigned to skip the motion. Then, Pokharel had staked his claim for a single majority government before the then Province Chief Dharmanath Yadav.
Despite protest from opposition parties arguing that Pokharel doesn’t command the majority, Yadav had appointed Pokharel to the post and had administered the oath at the Chief Minister’s Office.
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