KATHMANDU, MARCH 19

The Election Commission has handed over the House of Representatives results to President Ramchandra Paudel in the wake of successful election that took place on March 5, six months after Gen Z revolution. "The president received the election report today," Ritesh Kumar Shakya, a spokesman for president's office, told THT.

The members of parliament elected through proportional representation (PR) received certificates from the commission before the report was presented to the president.

As the largest party in the next parliament, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is now in charge of determining when to form the government following the commission's submission of the results.

In the election for the House of Representatives, the RSP secured 182 seats. In the 275-member House of Representatives, this is just two seats away from a two-thirds (184) majority.

Now, as soon as the RSP chooses its parliamentary party leader, the president will appoint the prime minister. The president appoints the leader of the parliamentary party that gains the majority in the election, according to Article 76 (1) of the Constitution.

The RSP had agreed before the election that senior leader Balendra (Balen) Shah would become prime minister after the election. In accordance with the prior agreement, the RSP will now have to appoint Shah as the party's leader. To elect the party leader, an RSP MP meeting have to be held.

After Shah is appointed prime minister, he will not be required to seek a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives because as he will be appointed PM as the head of the party with the majority in parliament. The Council of Ministers is established under Article 76 (1) of the Constitution. The majority party's leader is not required by the article to ask for a vote of confidence. The prime minister may, however, request a vote of confidence at any moment if he so chooses.

Along with the appointment of the prime minister, the cabinet will also be expanded by the prime minister. As declared by the RSP in its manifesto, the size of the council of ministers is likely to be downsized from 22 to 18. "A cabinet comprising 14 will be expanded with the formation of the government," RSP sources told THT. "The formation of the government is also anticipated by March 28."

The newly-elected lawmakers' oath-taking ceremony is set for March 26, according to Shakya, the president's office spokesperson. "Prime minister is likely to be appointed after that," he stated.

According to a close source, Shah will be sworn in as prime minister on March 27.

As the most senior member of the new federal parliament, Arjun Narsingh KC of the Nepali Congress will conduct the oath ceremony for the newly-elected legislators.

The Federal Parliament Secretariat and the government of Nepal have also received copies of the commission's report, which was delivered to President Paudel. According to the commission, the election results will be published in the Nepal Gazette tomorrow.

"A programme to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-elected MPs has already been scheduled by the Federal Parliament Secretariat on March 26 at 2:00pm," Federal Parliament Spokesperson Ek Ram Giri told THT. "The ceremony will take place in the multipurpose room of the new parliament building."