Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi in a radio interview expressed his willingness to lead the electoral government.

Speaking to the BBC Nepali Service on Monday evening, Regmi underlined that he would only head the government under political consensus, after constitutional hurdles had been cleared, and after the Supreme Court gave its judgement to a writ petition against an incumbent CJ becoming prime minister.

Regmi said, “When I become head of the government, I will not and should not be part of the judiciary – that is what separation of powers mean. My decisions as the head of government will be neutral, and although the details of the political mechanism have not been finalised, I will seek to work independently.”

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court issued a press statement on behalf of Regmi saying that he had agreed to chair the cabinet not because of personal ambition but because he wanted to “help solve the country’s current political crisis”.

This was the first time that Regmi came out publicly about the recent political developments, and until late on Sunday it wasn’t expected that he would agree.

Hours before the SC released the statement on behalf of CJ Regmi, Nepali Congress chairman Sushil Koirala had notified his party’s central committee members of Regmi’s affirmative reply to their proposal. Koirala told protesting party members that Regmi had agreed to lead the next government only after constitutional obstacles were cleared.