Maoist Center Chair Prachanda appointed as PM for the third time

KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appointed CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ as the Prime Minister.

Prachanda was appointed the PM as per Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, the President stated issuing a note a while ago.

This is the third time Chairman Dahal has become the Prime Minister.

Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal states “in cases where no party has a clear majority in the House of Representatives, the President shall appoint as the Prime Minister a member of the House of Representatives who can command majority with the support of two or more parties representing to the House of Representatives.”

CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party Nepal, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janata Samajwadi Party, and three independent Members of Parliament (MPs) have their support for Dahal’s premiership.

The newly-appointed Prime Minister would be sworn in on Monday, it is said.

Earlier, the President had given a weeklong time for the political parties to form the new government after the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) taken place on November 20.

The deadline given by the President was ending at 5:00 pm Sunday.