Nepal’s Karnali Province Sees New Power Sharing Deal

Karnali Province in Nepal is set to see a new power sharing deal between the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) after the previous alliance between the Congress and the CPN (UML) broke down.

The Congress has proposed Jeevan Bahadur Shahi as the new chief minister, with the CPN (UML) agreeing to support him. However, the issue of power sharing between the two parties remains unresolved.

Power Sharing Deal

The CPN (UML) is demanding four ministries, which it claims is its rightful share. However, the Congress is only willing to offer three ministries, leading to a stalemate.

"We have not yet discussed the issue of power sharing," said Mangal Bahadur Shahi, parliamentary leader of the CPN (UML). "Our priority is to remove the current chief minister, who has failed to deliver."

Hikmat Bahadur Bista, chief whip of the Congress, said that the party had proposed Shahi as the new chief minister after the previous chief minister, Yamlal Kandel, failed to resign despite losing the confidence of the assembly.

Ministries and Power Sharing

The CPN (UML) had previously shared power with the Congress, with the UML holding four ministries and the Congress holding three. However, the UML is now demanding an equal share of ministries.

"We have 14 members in the assembly, and we deserve an equal share of power," said a UML leader. "We will not settle for anything less."

The Congress, however, is unwilling to give in to the UML’s demands, leading to a standoff between the two parties.