KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML's Standing Committee on Sunday decided to field the party chairman and Parliamentary Party leader, KP Sharma Oli, as the candidate for the prime ministerial election.

The  meeting held at party's Parliamentary Party Office in Singhadarbar unanimously took the decision.

Also, the party formed a team -- comprising of senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal, Vice-Chairpersons Bam Dev Gautam and Bidya Bhandari and General Secretary Ishwar Pokhrel -- to hold talks with other parties in order to garner support for Oli for the prime ministerial election.

The party would take an initiative to form a "national government" in Oli's leadership, according to leader Pradeep Gyawali.

As per the provisions in the Constitution, the President on Friday asked the parties in Parliament to choose the new Prime Minister through consensus within seven days.

If the parties failed to forge consensus for the Prime Minister then the process to choose the executive head of the government through majority would be initiated.

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