The Prime Minister’s Office has prepared directives and by-laws for running provincial parliaments and governments, defining the role of provincial chiefs (governors).

According to the rules, the governor administers the oath to the chief minister who swears in his/her Cabinet members in turn. The provisions are not final, said Mahendra Man Gurung, secretary at the PMO, aimed at facilitating the works of the provincial chiefs.

Sources said that the government is set to appoint governors and announce the temporary capitals of the seven provinces in a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Soon after the President approved the ordinance on National Assembly election, the Election Commission had asked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to appoint the governors and to fix the temporary capitals of all the seven provinces.

Ahead of the first sitting of the provincial parliaments, the state chiefs will administer the oath to the oldest member. Until the speaker is elected, the oldest MP chairs the session.

A close aide to Deuba said the PM was trying to find consensus on the appointment of governors so that the incoming government has no difficulty working with them.

The PM is seeking to reach consensus with the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) on the appointments, with several names for consideration. The PMO has also prepared a tentative work division between the ministries of state governments. The governors call and end provincial parliament sessions and authenticate bills and ordinances forwarded by provincial parliaments and governments.