Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday consulted Election Commission’s office-bearers on elections for president, vice-president and a vacant National Assembly seat.

“Make necessary preparations for the election of a vacant National Assembly member. Political parties will discuss and reach a conclusion on elections for president and vice-president,” said Dahal during a meeting at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

According to the prime minister’s secretariat, Dahal expressed his appreciation to the office-bearers for holding all three tiers of elections efficiently.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and others were also present in the meeting.

During the meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and other commissioners briefed the prime minister and his Cabinet members on the functioning of the commission and the election process.

The terms of President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun expire on March 13 and the election to replace them must be held a month prior to that, on February 12.

Among the UML’s top leaders, two names are being discussed as candidates for new President: party vice-chair and former Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang and another vice-chair Asta Laxmi Shakya.

According to Article 70 of the constitution, the President and Vice-President shall be from different sex or communities. If Nembang clinches the Presidential position, either a female or a candidate representing a different ethnic community needs to be elected Vice-President.