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Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala said that he proposed Gagan Thapa as the candidate of the Parliamentary Party as per the wishes of the young generation. During a meeting held on Tuesday, Koirala said that he proposed Thapa as the candidate of the Parliamentary Party leader as he is in favor of generational transformation. Leader Koirala made it clear that Thapa is his candidate. “Gagan is dynamic. Youths also want him to be the Parliamentary Party leader. I proposed him as the candidate of the Parliamentary Party leader as I am in favor of party transformation,” he said. NC central member Ajay Babu Shivakoti said that the meeting has decided to field General Secretary Thapa as the candidate of the Parliamentary Party leader. Meanwhile, party President Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing filed candidacy for the post of Parliamentary Party leader from the establishment faction.  

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman and former Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss a new power sharing. Nembang reached Khumaltar this morning and formally proposed Dahal to become the prime minister. During the meeting, the duo discussed a new power sharing, government formation and contemporary political issues. Vice-Chairman Nembang stressed that the left parties should come to the same place. He was of the opinion that the UML-Maoist Center government should be formed by splitting the ruling coalition. “Let the Maoist Center be ready to leave the alliance and cooperate with the UML. The UML is ready to accept you as the prime minister,” a leader said, quoting the dialogue of the two leaders. “Other posts will be shared in consensus among the senior leaders of the UML-Maoist Center.” “Leave the alliance now, UML is ready to hold discussion and cooperate with the Maoist Center. Let’s take politics ahead through a new course to take the country towards the path of stability,” the leader said. Nembang proposed a new power sharing deal with Dahal and not to include the CPN (Unified Socialist) in the government for now. “The UML is not ready to bring the CPN (Unified Socialist) in the new government. Let’s make a coalition without the CPN (US),” he said. The UML intensified meetings with senior leaders after President Bidya Devi Bhandari called on the political parties to form a new government within December 25. Earlier, CPN (Maoist Center) General Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung had held a meeting with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s residence in Baluwatar. Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Dahal have been staking claim for the post of prime minister within the ruling coalition. Though Deuba had promised Dahal before the elections that he will make him the prime minister of a new government, no formal discussions have been made about the power sharing and future prime minister yet. Utilizing this opportunity, the UML has been trying to break the coalition and form its new alliance. UML leader Bishal Bhattarai had announced that the UML would move ahead if the ruling coalition failed to garner a majority. The Maoist Center has been bargaining power with the UML and the Nepali Congress parallelly. Earlier, the ruling coalition parties had decided to give continuity to the incumbent alliance. The Maoist Center, a key partner of the alliance, however, has been holding intensive talks with the UML in recent times. Second rung leaders of the UML and the Maoist Center have been mounting pressure on the Chairman duo Oli and Dahal to move forward together.    

Rastriya Prajantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden has said that his party is not in a hurry to join the government. He said so during a program organized to welcome and congratulate the newly elected lawmakers from RPP. He, however, said that the RPP has not vowed to stay away from the government either. The Party's agenda and values would be set gradually and it would take decisions on time, Lingden added. Lingden claimed that his party had taken a right track from the election. He was also of the view that the RPP could not collect the votes as per its expectation due to the failure to mobilize the party effectively. However, it won people's trust. The Chairperson also made it clear that new persons having capacity and potential were made the lawmakers. On the occasion, RPP leader Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana suggested the newly elected members of the House of Representatives from the party to be watchful on the old parties and government activities. Parliament should be utilized as a platform to show capacity, he said.

Newly elected lawmakers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy on Thursday. Federal Parliamentary Secretariat Secretary Gopalnath Yogi said that preparations are underway to administer the oath of office secrecy to the lawmakers at 1 pm on December 22. The federal parliamentary secretary has to issue a notice three days before the swearing-in ceremony. The Article 88 of the Constitution requires that every member of the Federal Parliament has to take the oath of office and secrecy as provided in the law before taking part in the meeting of the Parliament or its committees for the first time. According to a provision, the senior-most (by age) member should take an oath from the President before administering oath to other members. This should be done before the House elects the Speaker. The Secretariat has urged all the elected members to be present in the oath-taking ceremony with the certificates of the election, a photocopy of the Nepali citizenship and two recent passport size photos.  The members are requested to wear the national uniform and their cultural attires during the ceremony. For any member wishing to take oath in mother tongue, the translated version of the oath details shall be presented to the Secretariat beforehand.