From the Kathmandu Press: Thursday, December 14, 2017

With the conclusion of the FPTP vote count in all parliamentary constituencies across the country, all eyes are now on the PR vote count and the Left Alliance, which is preparing to form the new government. Almost all broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Thursday have given space to reports on the Left Alliance’s plans to form the government. Here’s a summary of important, ignored and interesting reports published on the front pages today:

As allies of the Left Alliance start negotiations to form the new government, the two main parties of the coalition, the CPN-UML and the Maoist Centre have reached an agreement over the allocation of ministerial berths in the new Cabinet. According to Kantipur, the UML will get 60 per cent of the berths while the Maoists will get 40 per cent of the seats in the new Cabinet. The paper says that the same ‘sixty-forty’ formula was used to nominate the alliance’s candidates for the parliamentary elections.
Similarly, the two parties are close to an agreement to allow the UML to form the government in six of the four provinces where the alliance has a majority in the provincial legislature. The Maoists want to lead the government in Province 6 and 7, the report says.

Nagarik says that the Upendra Yadav-led Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum and Mahantha Thakur-led Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have stepped up efforts to enter into a merger. The two parties, which were part of the Madheshi Morcha that picketed the Nepal-India border in 2015-16, have received overwhelming support from their electorate in Province 2. The two parties have also intensified talks to form the new government in Province 2. The report quotes RJP leader Rajkishore Yadav as saying that both the parties want to respect the people’s mandate
Although Nepal’s Constitution says that the country can have only up to 25 ministers, in reality, the number is likely to touch 135. According to Naya Patrika, the central government will have 25 ministers, but if ministers in the provinces are to be counted, the number will reach 135. According to constitutional provisions, a provincial government can have up to 10 ministers.