October 2023 Analysis: Federalism
On October 14th, Kedar Karki became the Chief Minister of Koshi Province, the fifth in nine months. Provincial governments still lack the necessary bills for smooth functioning, and unwanted political pressure has paralyzed provincial activities. The Federal Education Bill became a topic of concern in Parliament, with parliamentarians dissatisfied with the provisions in the bill. The UML Provincial Convention also reflected intraparty struggle within the UML.
Federalism in Nepal has been largely influenced by the interests of the political leadership. Power struggles, changes in central leadership, and disputes between coalition partners have deeply affected the functioning of provincial parliaments.
In Karnali Province, a large portion of the budget is spent on members of parliament (MPs), and the cost of making a new law is also high.13 The Karnali Province Assembly, which is in its second term, has passed only three laws in nine months. Assembly meetings are often halted, and provincial parliamentary committees are inactive due to disputes between coalition and opposition parties. Similarly, activities in Koshi Province were paralyzed for a long time due to a crisis over the appointment of the Chief Minister.
A new petition from Bagmati Province alleges that the federal government has exceeded its authority in managing transportation, which is under provincial jurisdiction.14 It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has been hesitant to rule on six additional petitions concerning disputes over jurisdiction between the federal and provincial governments.
Kedar Karki from the Nepali Congress was appointed Chief Minister under Shekhar Koirala's dissident faction on October 14 as per Article 168(5), contrary to the party's official stance of supporting Maoist leaders. He was backed by the CPN-UML, securing eight votes from his party and thirty-nine from the UML. This demonstrated Shekhar Koirala's attempt to exert political influence in the province by taking a leadership role in the appointment of Karki.
While the federal government consists of a coalition between the NC and Maoists, in Koshi provinces, the Maoists and UML joined forces in December 2022 to elect the Chief Minister and form the government. The government in Koshi became unstable after the Maoists withdrew support for Hikmat Karki, a UML leader, in June. Last month, the faction in the Nepali Congress led by Shekhar Koirala nominated their own candidate, Kedar Karki, who was supported by the UML. The move was significant given the rumors doing the rounds in Kathmandu that Koirala and UML were joining forces to oust the current federal coalition government. After assurance from Koirala that he would not undermine the federal government coalition, Prachanda decided to support Koirala’s candidate and in return sign an agreement saying he was committed to the current coalition government.
Karki’s appointment marks the fifth one since the December 2022 provincial assembly election. Previous governments have collapsed due to their inability to secure a vote of confidence. The defiance shown by provincial lawmakers against central directives highlighted a challenge to the centralized power structure, encouraging autonomy in provincial decision-making. Despite the appointment of the Chief Minister, challenges persist over the appointment of ministers, and there are coalition requests for the election of a new speaker to fill the vacant position.
Timeline of Major Events
| Date | Events |
| October 14 | Kedar Karki becomes the Chief Minister of the Koshi Province |
| October 9 | Bagmati Provincial Assembly unanimously passes two bills |
Federalism in Nepal
Federalism in Nepal has been largely influenced by the interests of the political leadership. Power struggles, changes in central leadership, and disputes between coalition partners have deeply affected the functioning of provincial parliaments.
In Karnali Province, a large portion of the budget is spent on members of parliament (MPs), and the cost of making a new law is also high.13 The Karnali Province Assembly, which is in its second term, has passed only three laws in nine months. Assembly meetings are often halted, and provincial parliamentary committees are inactive due to disputes between coalition and opposition parties. Similarly, activities in Koshi Province were paralyzed for a long time due to a crisis over the appointment of the Chief Minister.
A new petition from Bagmati Province alleges that the federal government has exceeded its authority in managing transportation, which is under provincial jurisdiction.14 It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has been hesitant to rule on six additional petitions concerning disputes over jurisdiction between the federal and provincial governments.
UML Provincial Convention
The UML Provincial Convention revealed a new power struggle within the party. In opposition to party president KP Oli's plea for a united decision on leadership selection, the four provincial committees of the CPN-UML opted to choose their leadership through an election.15 Leaders aspiring to become the party leaders after Oli has given preference to factional practices. The party's Provincial Convention has further increased interest within and outside the party about the possible leader of the CPN-UML after KP Sharma Oli. The UML's competitive leadership selection provides insight into the tradition of preparing for future leadership.The Perplexed State of Koshi Province
The post of Chief Minister in Koshi Province has been subject to a power struggle between the Congress and the UML. The minority government of Hikmat Karki, who also held the position of provincial assembly leader within the CPN-UML, stepped down upon realizing that there was no indication of securing a vote of confidence.Kedar Karki from the Nepali Congress was appointed Chief Minister under Shekhar Koirala's dissident faction on October 14 as per Article 168(5), contrary to the party's official stance of supporting Maoist leaders. He was backed by the CPN-UML, securing eight votes from his party and thirty-nine from the UML. This demonstrated Shekhar Koirala's attempt to exert political influence in the province by taking a leadership role in the appointment of Karki.
While the federal government consists of a coalition between the NC and Maoists, in Koshi provinces, the Maoists and UML joined forces in December 2022 to elect the Chief Minister and form the government. The government in Koshi became unstable after the Maoists withdrew support for Hikmat Karki, a UML leader, in June. Last month, the faction in the Nepali Congress led by Shekhar Koirala nominated their own candidate, Kedar Karki, who was supported by the UML. The move was significant given the rumors doing the rounds in Kathmandu that Koirala and UML were joining forces to oust the current federal coalition government. After assurance from Koirala that he would not undermine the federal government coalition, Prachanda decided to support Koirala’s candidate and in return sign an agreement saying he was committed to the current coalition government.
Karki’s appointment marks the fifth one since the December 2022 provincial assembly election. Previous governments have collapsed due to their inability to secure a vote of confidence. The defiance shown by provincial lawmakers against central directives highlighted a challenge to the centralized power structure, encouraging autonomy in provincial decision-making. Despite the appointment of the Chief Minister, challenges persist over the appointment of ministers, and there are coalition requests for the election of a new speaker to fill the vacant position.
Bagmati Province comes up with two bills
Nine years since the establishment of federalism in Nepal, provinces are still lacking the necessary bills for the smooth functioning of the system. However, in the month of October, Bagmati Province came up with two bills. The meeting held on October 9 in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly unanimously passed two bills: a bill to amend the Provincial Media Management Act 2075 and a bill to regulate the language of provincial government work.
CESIF Nepal