Koshi Province Chief Minister's Remarks on Provincial Structure Spark Political Firestorm

Biratnagar. A controversial statement made by Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki on March 20 (Chaitra 7) during an event in Itahari, Sunsari, regarding the rationale of the provincial structure and the new mandate, has created ripples in the provincial politics. A verbal spat has erupted between the ruling coalition and the opposition over the Chief Minister's remarks.

At the event in Itahari, Chief Minister Karki, hinting at the nearly two-thirds majority mandate received in the recent election, stated, 'No matter how good the work the provincial structure does, we have not received justice. If the mandate deems it inappropriate and removes it through constitutional amendment, I am ready to accept that. But if this structure is to remain, there are many areas to strengthen it further.'

This statement led to debates both for and against on social media, and political leaders began exchanging reactions through social media platforms.

Speaking during a special session on behalf of the CPN-UML parliamentary party in the Koshi Provincial Assembly meeting on Monday, Tilkumar Menyangbo stated that discussions against federalism and the provincial structure are frequently raised, adding that federalism without provinces does not exist anywhere in the world.

While he did not clarify who exactly is calling for the abolition of provinces, he stated that moving against the provinces is inappropriate.

'I inquired with him about the matter that came up regarding the Province Chief Minister. The Chief Minister said that he did not say it and that the matter has been twisted,' Menyangbo said, 'If this has created any confusion somewhere, I urge everyone to be assured that it is not so.'

Although Menyangbo clarified on Monday that his Chief Minister's statement was distorted, the opposition party, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), strongly criticized the Chief Minister's remarks in the Koshi Provincial Assembly meeting held on Tuesday. Ganesh Upreti, a lawmaker from the party, accused the Chief Minister of displaying a 'desperate mentality' by talking about abolishing the province instead of preserving its existence.

'You must also understand that this was not brought through elections; this republic and federalism came through the strength of the then People's War and the 21-day People's Movement. No matter if someone gets two-thirds or five-thirds majority, this is not going to change,' he said. 'When the opportunity arises, you start meowing against federalism. Why don't they show the courage to abolish the District Coordination Committee and unnecessary district structures rather than the provinces?'

Upreti also accused the CPN-UML and the Congress of being historically unsupportive of federalism. 'Our Chief Minister said that if the provincial structure is to be reviewed, he is ready in his capacity as the Chief Minister of this province. This shows that the Chief Minister of this province is in favor of abolishing the province and moving forward with the restructuring of the province in a new way,' he said.

Upreti stated that it is a matter of ethics for a person holding a responsible position like the Chief Minister to question the very existence of the province. He also commented that UML and Congress have never been in favor of federalism, and they accepted inclusivity and federalism in the second Constituent Assembly only to appease the Maoists.

Following Upreti's sharp criticism in the parliament, the government spokesperson, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Indramani Parajuli, reacted by saying the issue was twisted. He accused the media of misrepresenting and creating confusion by cutting the Chief Minister's statement.

'Some things were raised in parliament by the opposition party regarding what the Chief Minister said at the Itahari program, but the Chief Minister's intention was not like that. What he said in one context was misinterpreted,' Parajuli said. 'The Chief Minister's intention was that if someone like Balen Shah or anyone else says the province should be abolished, we are ready to seek a legal and political remedy for that.'

Spokesperson Parajuli stated that making news and criticizing by cutting just one sentence is not the duty of journalism.

Meanwhile, Indra Bahadur Angbo, the leader of the opposition Nepal Communist Party's Koshi Province Parliamentary Party, demanded that the Chief Minister apologize for his statement. Angbo stated that the Rastriya Swatantra Party has not said they would abolish federalism, and claimed that Chief Minister Karki's statement was a product of a post-defeat panicked mentality.

'First, the RASP's manifesto states to strengthen the Federal Democratic Republic. It does not mention weakening or abolishing the province anywhere. In the widely discussed speech of the prospective Prime Minister Balen Shah proposed by RASP at the Janakpur assembly, it is mentioned to make the province strong and effective,' Angbo said. 'It is a product of a post-defeat panicked mentality for the Chief Minister of the province himself to say he will accept if the province is abolished.'

Angbo stated that this statement raised serious questions against the Chief Minister and the UML regarding the entire system of federal governance. He demanded, 'The Chief Minister must publicly apologize for this unconstitutional statement.'