Prime Minister Sushil Koirala addresses the first post-constitution session of the parliament on Friday. Photo: Bikram RaiLess than two weeks after Nepal adopted the new constitution, the formal process for electing the new Prime Minister began on Friday.
Speaking at the first post-constitution session of the Parliament on Friday, the incumbent Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said he was all set to request President Ram Baran Yadav to initiate the process for electing the new Prime Minister.
"I am going to request President to call for formation of the new government today itself," he said.
"In accordance to a constitutional provision and my own public commitment that I will resign after promulgation of the new constitution, I am going to request the President for the new government," he said.
But Koirala did not step down right away.
Koirala's party, the Nepali Congress, had a power-sharing deal with the main opposition UML last year. And the UML Chair KP Oli is expected to succeed Koirala as the new PM under that dea.
But sources say Koirala is not keen to leave Baluwatar and wants to lead the new government, too.
Some UML leaders have publicly criticised Koirala for showing unwillingness to vacate the seat against the two-party deal.
Reading out a written statement, Koirala also urged the dissenting Madhesi parties to call off their agitation and help normalise the situation.
Madhesi parties, unsatisfied with the new constitution, have been blocking the Nepal-India border by staging sit-ins at various points for the last two weeks. And India has not allowed the supply of essential commodities citing the political unrest in Nepal's plains area.
"I believe that all contentious issues can be sorted out through dialogues and we are even ready to amend the constitution," he said.