December 19: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called the newly elected members of the House of Representatives (HoR) who can secure majority of votes with the support of two or more political parties in the HoR to stake claim for the post of the new prime minister.     

The president has given a week’s time for the HoR members to submit their claim for the prime ministerial post, states a press release issued by the Office of the President on Sunday. They need to make the claim before 5:00 pm on December 26.    
The president made such call in accordance with Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal after no political party was able to gain clear majority in the parliament.    

Any political party requires 138 seats in the 275-member HoR to form a new government.

During the November 20 polls, the Nepali Congress emerged as the largest party with 89 seats followed by the CPN UML with 78 seats and CPN Maoist Centre a distant third with 32 seats.

None of the parties are able to form a new government on their own.