The deadline given by President Ram Baran Yadav to form the new government is closing in, but the parties are yet to begin negotiating on the probable candidate. As of now, they are still trying to come up with the candidate within their party.

Nepali Congress is undecided whether it will propose party President Sushil Koirala for the job or not, while the UCPN-Maoists are flirting between candidacy of DPM Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Madhesi leader Mahanta Thakur, and Ram Bahadur Thapa from breakaway CPN-M led by Mohan Baidya. Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has so far maintained that the electoral government must be formed under his party, preferably under Bhattarai himself.

However, CPN-UML has already rejected the possibility of Maoist led government. The UML politbureau meeting which continued today, came to this conclusion. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has been publicly stating that the present government will be given national shape by including NC and UML in the government.

The row over the candidacy promises to get even more interesting as the names of Surya Bahadur Thapa, Bijay Gachhadar and some ‘independent’ members of civil society is being floated.