On Sunday, leaders from the two parties had started work on registering the proposal at the parliament secretariat.[break]
The Maoist and UML leaders´ move comes in response to the Nepali Congress (NC) decision to demand that parliament declare NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel, the lone candidate in the prime ministerial race, prime minister-elect unopposed.
A joint meeting of the NC parliamentary party and central committee on Sunday decided to insist on Paudel´s election.
"We didn´t register the proposal today [Monday] as the top leaders are optimistic that they would be able to find an amicable solution through consensus in connection with ending the ongoing prime ministerial election and forming a new government," UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya told Republica.
He said that though the NC decided to demand the unopposed election of Paudel to the post, they have not raised the matter in parliament. "Being hopeful of finding a consensus solution, they did not demand Paudel´s unopposed election to the post during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held on Monday.
Therefore, we decided to put our idea on hold as well," Acharya clarified. He said Maoist and UML leaders have an understanding that they would register the proposal to amend the regulations if they reach the conclusion that there is no possibility of forming a new government by consensus.
The apex court, in its verdict last week, suggested to the Speaker and parliament to elect lone candidate Paudel, make some changes in parliamentary regulations or seek some other alternative. While the NC is for electing its candidate to the post unopposed, Maoist and UML leaders have insisted on amendments to the regulations.
They want to end the existing provision of voting an infinite number of times if candidates fail to secure a majority, as is happening now.
They also want to adopt a system that would terminate the voting after the third round if it fails to elect a new prime minister by then, and to incorporate a provision allowing only two finalists to continue in the race after the first-round vote.
Related story
Judicial Council Regulations amendment triggers bar-bench confl...
