Kathmandu, June 4

The Parliament could not elect a new prime minister today, as Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar adjourned the House till 1:00pm on Tuesday.

The speaker decided to adjourn the House, as the main opposition party, CPN-UML, which has been stalling House proceedings over Bharatpur vote counting, sought two days for a negotiated settlement.

UML leaders sought time during a meeting called by the speaker and attended by top leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre.

The Parliament Secretariat had scheduled election for the PM’s post at 11:00am today. It waslater put off till 3:00pm today, before the House was adjourned till 1:00pm on Tuesday.

Talking to mediapersons  after a meeting of three parties  NC President and  candidate for the PM’s post Sher Bahadur Deuba, said  he accepted UML Chair KP Sharma Oli’s request to adjourn today’s House meeting, as delaying the prime ministerial election by two days would not make a big difference.

Senior CPN-UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal said his party sought two days for holding intense discussion with other parties on the prime ministerial election.

CPN–Maoist Centre leader Surendra Kumar Karki said the ruling parties expected the UML to consider the fact that the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led caretaker government should not rule for long when the second phase of local polls were round the corner.

NC leader Ramesh Lekhak, however, expressed dissatisfaction over adjournment of the House. “It is not a good practice to adjourn the House by issuing a notice at a time when the speaker has already published the election schedule. The Parliament should have elected the new PM today,” he added.  UML’s deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang told mediapersons that action of the ruling parties had affected the entire political system.

He, however, said the UML did not plan to field its candidate for prime minister.

“As per the constitution, the prime minister is individually and collectively responsible to the Parliament, the process of electing a new prime minister should go through the Parliament. Issuing notice about the president’s call for formation of a new government is not the right process,” he added.