Kathmandu, Dec 29: Nepal President Bidya Bhandari Friday endorsed a key ordinance relating to the election of Upper House members, that paves the way for formation of a new government after recent provincial and parliamentary polls.
There were disputes among the ruling Nepali Congress party and main opposition CPN-UML as to which voting system to be adopted for the election of the 59 members of Upper House.
Without the formation of the Upper House the formation of the bicameral Parliament could not be completed, which was crucial for convening a full parliamentary session which is essential to form a new government.
The NC has been advocating for single transferable voting system for the Upper House election, while the CPN-UML had been sticking to the majority voting system.
The president had been holding the ordinance for some time due to the dispute between the two major political forces.
Now with the President’s endorsement, the ordinance incorporates a mix voting system.
Under this, 42 out of a total of 59 members will be elected under single transferable voting system while 14 will be elected through majority voting system.
The remaining three members are supposed to be appointed by the president.
Under single transferable voting, weightage will be given to the votes casted by the eligible voters to decide the winning candidates.
Meanwhile, senior leader of CPN-UML Lal Babu Pandit has asserted that party chairman and former premier K P Oli is most likely to lead the new government formed under the Left alliance.
The Left alliance won 116 seats out of a total 165 under the first-past-the-post system while the Nepali Congress bagged just 23 seats in the country’s recently-concluded historic polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.
Former minister Pandit said the two Left alliance parties – CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre – would unite only after the top leaders forge a consensus on division of positions of leaders and cadres.
The Left alliance has a comfortable majority of 174 members which is more than sufficient to form the government.
There are altogether 275 members in the House of Representatives and 138 seats are required to form a majority government. (PTI)
