Nepal’s Koshi Province Sees Power Struggle Within Ruling Party

A power struggle is brewing within Nepal’s ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) in Koshi Province, with party chairman KP Sharma Oli directing Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki to step down.

Chief Minister Karki has refused to resign, citing that his government was formed in accordance with the constitution and has the support of more than 65 lawmakers. Karki told reporters, ‘I am not just the leader of the parliamentary party, I am the chief minister. I will resign if the party committee makes a formal decision.’

Party in-charge Sherdhan Rai, who carried Oli’s message to Karki, said that the party would resolve its internal issues and form a new government within a week or 10 days. Rai added that there was no conflict between him and Karki, but rather a small issue that needed to be resolved.

Oli is reportedly planning to replace Karki with Taplejung lawmaker Tilakumar Menyangbo. However, Karki’s refusal to step down has created a new wave in Koshi’s politics.

Lawmakers from Oli’s faction have started collecting signatures to oust Karki, while Oli himself has been trying to persuade lawmakers to join his side by offering them ministerial positions.

However, changing the parliamentary party leader requires a two-thirds majority, which Oli’s faction may not have. Additionally, coalition partners have expressed reluctance to intervene in the internal conflict of the ruling party.

Nepal Communist Party’s parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Angbo said that the ruling party should resolve its internal issues on its own and that his party would not interfere in the conflict.