UML, NCP sign provincial cooperation deal

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 26: The CPN-UML and the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) have signed an agreement to cooperate in the provincial assemblies and jointly form provincial governents.

According to CPN-UML’s Head of the Publicity and Publication Department, Niraj Acharya, the  agreement was reached during a meeting held on Saturday attended by UML chairman KP Sharma Oli  and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

Acharya said the two parties reached agreement on three key points. Under the agreement, the UML and the NCP will cooperate in the provincial assemblies and form coalition governments. 

The UML will lead the provincial governments in Koshi, Bagmati and Lumbini, while the NCP will head the governments in Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province.

Regarding Madhes and Gandaki provinces, the two parties agreed to hold consultations with other political parties represented in the provincial assemblies before deciding the leadership and composition of the provincial governments, Acharya said.

The two parties signed the agreement in a bid to resolve recent disputes over budget formulation in the provincial assemblies, the recurrence of budget deadlocks and unhealthy political competition.

The agreement stated that the two parties signed the deal to cooperate in the provincial assemblies and form joint provincial governments to promote political stability, good governance, prosperity and accelerate provincial development,

Karnali CM Kandel resigns

Meanwhile, our Surkhet Correspondent Rajani Yogi adds: Karnali Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel announced his resignation while addressing a meeting of the Karnali Provincial Assembly on Saturday.

The announcement came following 16 lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and the Nepali Communist Party registering a motion of no confidence against Kandel in the PA on July 17. The Assembly meeting, convened at 3:00 pm on Saturday, had been scheduled to deliberate on the no-confidence motion.

A day earlier, on July 16, four ministers from the ruling coalition partner, the Nepali Congress, resigned from the Karnali Government. They were Minister for Economic Affairs Rajiv Bikram Shah, Minister for Water Resources Bijaya Budha, Minister for Social Development Ghanshyam Bhandari, and Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment Suresh Adhikari.

Kandel was appointed CM on April 9, 2024, with the support of the then CPN (Maoist Centre). After the fall of the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led federal government, the NC and the CPN-UML formed coalition governments at the provincial level as well. Reflecting on his tenure, Kandel said his government had carried out several important reforms. He also remarked that it was uncertain how long the incoming government would last.

"As I was coming here, the two chairmen of the CPN-UML were sitting together. I had a telephone conversation," he said, hinting at the possibility of communist parties reuniting and commenting on the likely longevity of the new government.

He said he would formally submit his resignation to the Province Chief to complete the constitutional process.

After Kandel announced his resignation, Speaker Nanda Gurung informed the House that the next meeting of the PA would be held on July 30.