Nepal's former Maoist rebel chief Prachanda looked set to become prime minister after no other candidate emerged, raising hopes that his government, the 24th in 26 years, would be more stable than its predecessors.
The election of a new prime minister, due in parliament, became necessary after K.P. Oli resigned last month just before a no-confidence motion brought by the Maoists who accused him of reneging on a power-sharing deal.
That looks like a formality as Prachanda, 61, is almost certain to win with the centrist Nepali Congress, which is the biggest party in the 595-seat parliament, and an alliance of several small parties, set to support him.
Nepal adopted its first republican constitution in September that was meant to end years of instability following the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy in 2008 in the mountainous country surrounded by India and China.
Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has promised to address their grievances.
Prachanda is the nom de guerre he used while he was a rebel leader.
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