Gandaki: NC to skip province assembly meetings until court verdict

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to boycott Gandaki Province Assembly meetings until the Supreme Court passes its final verdict on the case challenging formation of the provincial government under the leadership of Khagaraj Adhikari of CPN-UML.

Surendra Raj Pandey, the parliamentary party leader of the NC in the province assembly, has filed a writ petition against the formation of the government at the Supreme Court. Pandey moved the apex court after Speaker Krishna Dhital announced that Chief Minister Adhikari secured the trust vote when he received 30 votes, instead of the required 31 votes, in the 60-member province assembly.

“While the Supreme Court has issued a temporary interim order instructing the province government not to make any long-term decisions, the caretaker government has called a provincial assembly meeting for 3 pm on Friday to hold a pre-budget discussion. NC parliamentary party strongly disagrees with this move,” NC Chief Whip Nanda Prasad Neupane said in a press statement on Thursday.

Neupane also said that the NC will not participate in any provincial assembly meetings or government activities until the case is settled. “The NC’s parliamentary party has decided not to attend the provincial assembly meeting called for Friday. If the government acts against the court’s order, the government and the parties violating the order will be solely responsible for the consequences,” he added.