Parties in separate discussions to form new government in Province 1

BIRATNAGAR, Jan. 3: The parties are engaged in separate discussions on the issue of government formation in Province 1. According to the alliance at the center in Province 1, the parties are discussing to form a government. Hikmat Kumar Karki, the leader of the CPN-UML parliamentary party, informed that separate discussions are being held between the parties.
He said that as the government will be formed under the leadership of the coalition parties of the center, discussions are being held with them. "We are having separate discussions with Maoists, RPP, and JSP," Karki said. "A joint discussion, however, has not been held yet," he added. On the other hand, the leader of the CPN (Maoist Center) parliamentary party, Indra Bahadur Angbo, said that although there have been separate informal discussions, the discussion has not started in a joint manner.
"Discussions are going on informally, there has been no joint discussion of the ruling coalition parties," Angbo said, "After it is decided who will lead Province 1, the discussion will intensify, and we will go to the head of the province to form the government within the stipulated time."
In Province 1, the ruling coalition party CPN (UML) has 40 MPs. Similarly, there are 13 from the Maoist Center, 6 from the RPP, and 1 from the JSP, making a total number of 60 MPs. Provincial Chief Parshuram Khapung has given a deadline of 5 pm of the 24th Push for the formation of Province 1 government.
At that time, according to sub-section (2) of Article 168 of the Constitution, at least two or more parties with a majority will need to recommend the name of the Chief Minister to the Head of the Province. It is clear that the government will be formed in Province 1 from the power coalition led by UML. However, the issue of who will be the chief minister among UML and Maoists is yet to be decided.