Parties yet to start process for selection of consensus PM

Online Khabar

Kathmandu, October 1

As per the recently-promulgated constitution,  the country should get a new prime minister within a week. Despite this provision, the three major parties – the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the UCPN-Maoist – have not yet begun a process to select a candidate on the basis of consensus.

The Parliament’s summer session begin from Friday. According to the constitution, prime minister should be selected on the basis of consensus within a week into the commencement of a Parliament session. If the parties fail to select the chief executive on the basis of consensus, they should begin voting for the top post.

The process for selecting prime minister will begin with the start of the House session.  Does it mean the incumbent has to resign? While the constitution is silent on the issue, parties differ on the same.

With the start of the House session, President will appeal political parties for a consensus. But how would the president call for selection of a new prime minister when the incumbent has not informed him about his resignation?

Parties have not offered clear answers to this question. Nepali Congress leader Ananda Prasad Dhungana, who is considered close to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, says there’s no need for the incumbent PM to resign as the selection of his successor will start right away.

After constitution promulgation,  the incumbent prime minister has become a caretaker PM.  Whether he announces resignation or not will not make a difference to the process.

UML under secretary general Vishnu Poudel says it will be better for the incumbent PM to announce his resignation at the Parliament, noting that the constitution points that a new prime minister should be selected a week after commencement of the House session. The country cannot have two prime ministers at the same time, so it will be appropriate for the incumbent to resign.

A source said the three major parties have agreed to elect the prime minister as per the old regulation.

The House will formulate a new regulation for the election of the president and vice-president.

The regulation will probably be amended,  introducing a provision in which the president will submit his resignation to vice-president and vice-versa.