Process starts for election of new Nepal PM

Kathmandu: The schedule for holding the election for Nepal`s new prime minister on February 10 was on Wednesday approved unanimously by the constituent assembly. President Ram Baran Yadav has directed Parliament to initiate the process of electing a majority government as per Article 38(2) of the interim constitution after efforts to form a consensus government under Article 38(1) failed. Constituent Assembly speaker Surya Bahadur Thapa read out the letter passed by the Parliament Secretariat, proposing a date for the prime ministerial election and requested Home Minister Madhav Ghimire to ask the house for its approval. The proposal was approved unanimously. The Business Advisory Committee of Parliament recommended the date to hold the election. The president initiated the process after the parties failed to forge an understanding for a consensus government before the earlier deadline of February 2. Until now Nepali Congress (NC) president and parliamentary party leader Sushil Koirala is the only candidate to formally announce his candidacy for prime minister.

NC is the largest party in the assembly with 194 lawmakers. But the party needs support from others of at least 301 votes for getting its candidate elected as prime minister. The election will take place at 11 AM on February 10, as per the schedule. According to a statement issued by the Parliament Secretariat, nominations for the prime ministerial race will be filed on February 8 and 9 and the final list of the contenders will be made public on February 9.