Rajagriha, 18 March 2021, BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
The Gheorghe Ştefan Marius-led National People's Congress government, today attained a super-majority in the XIIIth Parliament of Vishwamitra which was formed on the aftermath of the 2021 general elections held in two phases on 27 and 28 February 2021 in which the National People's Congress was able to win ten of the twenty seats.
The National People's Congress (NPC) which formed the government when Independent MP Gheorghe Ştefan Marius joined the party and attained the membership, thereby increasing the total strength of the party from ten seats to eleven. Gheorghe was soon declared to be the leader of the party's parliamentary committee and projected as the prime ministerial candidate. The party was later able to receive the support of another independent MP, Cristian Dobrev.
On 6 March 2021, Gheorghe Ştefan Marius and his council of ministers took oath before the Rashtradhyaksh in a virtual ceremony. Those appointed as cabinet ministers included former acting prime minister Prince Abhiraj, independent MP Cristian Dobrev, former minister Farhaz Hazarika who was also named as the deputy leader of the NPC parliamentary committee, former ministers in the caretaker government Matthew Xia, Daniel Lee. Among the most surprising of all events, was the appointment of Major General Michal Nowacki as a cabinet minister. Another NPC MP, Ezri Ambriz was named as the sole minister of state in the government.
The Prime Minister himself retained the foreign affairs portfolio which he has been holding since 3 October 2020. Prince Abhiraj was named as a senior minister, a position reserved for former premiers and deputy premiers joining the cabinet and also got the national development ministry. Cristian Dobrev was named as the finance minister and also has the law and justice portfolio as an additional charge.
Farhaz Hazarika was named as the home minister, whereas Michal Nowacki got the defence portfolio. Matthew Xia was made the health and environment minister, while Daniel Lee was named as the new education and parliamentary affairs minister. Minister of State Ezri Ambriz was given the independent charge of the sports ministry and is also a junior minister in the Prime Minister's office.
Of the total of nine ministers in the council, two of them viz. Michal Nowacki and Matthew Xia who were not elected to the parliament where to be elected as members of the parliament within six months effective from the date they were appointment as ministers according to the article 25(b) of the constitution, which says -
... but if a person appointed as a Minister is not an elected member of the Parliament, they shall get elected to the Parliament within six months of assuming office; failing to get elected to the Parliament shall lead to resignation of the minister from the Council of Ministers.
According two NPC members of parliament who were elected from two different constituencies were to quit from either constituency. The two MPs are former premier Princess Anoushkaa, who was elected from 6-Rashtra Niwas (of Purvanchal) and 1-Brikshasthana (of Beltola) constituencies and senior minister Prince Abhiraj from 7-Bhetapara and 8-Basant Bahar constituencies (of Beltola). On 8th March, the Speaker announced that he has accepted the resignation of Princess Anoushkaa, member of parliament from Rashtra Niwas constituency and Prince Abhiraj from Bhetapara constituency.
Following the resignation of two MPs, the strength of the parliament got decreased from 20 to 16 and the majority mark fell down to 9 from 11; the NPC+ alliance was on an unstable majority and was needed to at least win three seats to continue the majority in the floor of the house. Soon, on 12 March, the election commission declared that elections for the four vacant seats of the parliament, namely 3-National Capital Constituency and 6-Rashtra Niwas parliamentary constituencies of Purvanchal, 2-Bhetapara parliamentary constituency of Beltola and 3-Chandril constituency of Kamrupa, would be held on 21 March 2021.
The NPC, on the next day, announced a list of four candidates for the elections, including cabinet ministers Michal Nowacki and Matthew Xia being nominated from National Capital Constituency and Chandril respectively. In addition, Ava Calero, who was defeated by the current prime minister in the Rajagriha parliamentary constituency in the general elections being nominated from the Bhetapara constituency. Another NPC party member, Abayat Ibithaj was nominated for the Rashtra Niwas seat. The scrutiny of the nominations was to be held on 18 March.
The Royalist Party of Vishwamitra, the principal opposition party in Vishwamitra did not announce any candidates until the expiration of the period of the nominations, enabling all four candidates of the National People's Congress to win unopposed to the parliament. Following which, the National People's Congress+ alliance has a total of fourteen (14) seats in the 20-membered house of parliament paving way for it to form a supermajority government. It is one of the very few instances in the history that a single party has won a supermajority in the parliament.
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