Parliamentary Secretariat to publish the final list of candidates at 4:30pm on

Saturday.Voting at 11:00am on Sunday

Kathmandu, October 9

Legislature Parliament is all set to elect a new prime minister on Sunday, election for which will be held at 11:00am, Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang said today.

Addressing the Legislature Parliament, Nembang read out the letter sent by President Ram Baran Yadav to begin the majority process to elect the new PM, as the time provided to the political parties to choose the PM through consensus ended yesterday.

President Yadav had given a week to elect PM through consensus among the political parties represented in the Parliament.

Nembang has authorised General Secretary Manohar Prasad Bhattarai as the election officer to conduct election procedures.

According to the election schedule published by the Parliament Secretariat, candidates are required to register their names for the election from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday at Lhotse Hall on the premises of International Convention Centre.

The secretariat would publish the final list of candidates at 4:30pm on Saturday. Those wishing to withdraw their candidacy can do so before 11:00am on Sunday. All the contestants for the PM’s post have to be at the House at 11:00am on Sunday and the Speaker would put all the proposals of the candidates to voting together after discussion in the House.

Earlier, President Yadav had called the House to begin procedures to elect the PM as per Article 298(3) of the Nepal’s Constitution, 2072.

The second largest party in the Parliament, CPN-UML, which is also the main coalition partner in NC-led government, has already decided to field its Chairperson KP Sharma Oli to contest the PM’s post.

On the other hand, NC Central Working Committee has been mulling over fielding party’s candidate in the election.

With two seats remaining for the Cabinet to nominate and the demise of RPP leader Surya Bahadur Thapa there are only 598 members in the 601-strong Legislature Parliament and those in fray for the prime minister’s post must secure at least 299 votes to be elected PM.

Among the 598 members, Sanjay Sah of Sadbhawana Party is suspended and is in judicial custody and cannot cast his vote in the PM’s election, said Sudarshan Kuinkel, assistant spokesperson for the Parliament Secretariat. Baburam Bhattarai, who quit UCPN-M a few days ago and tendered his resignation from the Parliament as well, is, however, eligible to vote, as his resignation from the Parliament has not been accepted.