Nepal to elect new PM through voting in Parliament on Sunday

Nepal’s new Prime Minister will be elected on Sunday through voting in Parliament after political parties failed to forge consensus, it was announced today, amid continued protests and blockade of a key border trade point with India over the country’s new Constitution.

Nepalese President Dr Ram Baran Yadav today called the political parties to begin the process of electing a new Prime Minister through majority voting process.

The President has asked the political parties represented in the Legislative Parliament to conduct <g data-gr-id="48">election</g> of the Prime Minister through majority voting as per the provisions of Nepal’s new Constitution after the deadline to elect the Premier through consensus ended yesterday, according to a notice issued by the President’s office.

Parliament Speaker Subhas Nembang has informed the Parliament that the election for the post of the Prime Minister will be held on Sunday morning.

The political parties have to submit the names of their respective candidates for the post of the Prime Minister on Saturday.

The process of electing a new Premier was initiated after Prime Minister Sushil Koirala decided to quit the top post last week after the promulgation of the new Constitution.

The second-largest party in the Parliament –Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) –has chosen its chairman Khadga Prasad Oli as its candidate for the premiership.

The Unified CPN-Maoist led by Prachanda and some other fringe parties have also assured backing to Oli’s candidature.

However, the Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament, is yet to decide whether to support Oli or to put forward its own candidate for the post of the Prime Minister.