CPN-UML Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali said the party will stake claim for the new government if Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) were to support it.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has invited parties for formation of new government under Article 76(5) of the Constitution giving a deadline of five Friday afternoon.
Talking with Setopati Friday morning, Gyawali clarified that the party will not stake claim if it fails to muster majority. "Opposition parties may also stake claim. It will depend on how they come. Who JSP supports will be decisive," he stated. "There are reports about Thakur being proposed the next PM. Whether it is a genuine proposal or just outsider talks has yet to be clear. We are also talking with them. But there has been no conclusion."
The Thakur-Mahato faction of JSP has been close to Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli in recent times and stopped formation of the majority government paving the way for reappointment of Oli as PM.
Thakur and Rajendra Mahato reached Baluwatar to meet Oli immediately after the Cabinet meeting ended Thursday evening. "They have agreed in principle to form a task force or draft committee for amendment of the Constitution. Whatever the body may be named it will be for Constitution amendment," JSP leader of the faction Surendra Jha told Setopati. "The task force probably will be announced today. The agreements they reached will be announced today."
JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav earlier told Setopati that the the party will propose to make Thakur the next PM. The two JSP chairmen recently agreed to not join the Oli government but would take initiative if the party gets to lead the government.
The Thakur-Mahato faction, meanwhile, has called parliamentary party meeting later in the morning to take a decision about forming the next government.
Issuing a statement Thursday evening, the President's Office said invitation has been made for formation of the new government under Article 76(5) of the Constitution after the prime minister (PM) informed that the government formed under Article 76(3) of the Constitution does not have grounds to pass the floor test. She invited parties to form the government as per 76(5) without PM KP Sharma Oli flunking the floor test or him resigning.
