KATHMANDU, July 26: President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Monday asked the parliament to initiate the process of forming a new government on the basis of political understanding within seven days. Earlier on Sunday, she had approved Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's resignation.
Issuing an order to remove constitutional difficulties in line with Article 305 of the Constitution on Monday, the President asked the political parties within the parliament to elect a new prime minister on the basis of political understanding within the next seven days in line with Clause 2 of Article 298 of the Constitution.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday had recommended the president to invoke Article 305 to remove constitutional difficulties for the formation of a new government. Stating that Article 298 is not clear about the election of new prime minister, the cabinet had recommended the president to invoke the article to remove constitutional difficulties so that a new prime minister could be elected in line with clause 2 or 3 of Article 298.
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Issuing a press release, the President's Office has informed that President Bhandari has issued the order to remove constitutional difficulties on Monday as per the recommendation made by the cabinet.
Earlier on Monday, President Bhandari held a joint meeting with caretaker prime minister KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at President's Office, Sheetal Niwas.
According to Dahal's personal secretariat, President Bhandari urged the leaders to move ahead on the basis of political understanding.
The three leaders had suggested that the President start the process of forming new government.
During the meeting, NC President Deuba and Maoist Center Chairman Dahal stressed the need for developing political understanding and expressed their commitment to carry forward the issues of national interest and implementation of the constitution.
According to Dahal's secretariat, Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the CPN-UML, said that his party will continue to support the new government on issues of national interest.
