Saturday, 23 May 2009
The legislature-parliament elected CPN (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal as the new Prime Minister of the country on Saturday.
Backed by 21 parties, Nepal was elected unopposed as no other candidates filed nomination for the post. Maoist lawmakers walked out of the parliament hall, boycotting the election process. CPN (Unified) and Nepali Janata Dal also stayed away from the election process.
Leaders of the coalition partners gathered at the parliament congratulated Nepal as soon as the Speaker declared him elected.
Nepali Congress president tabled the proposal in the House in favour of Nepal as the new Prime Minister while UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum's Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar and Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party chairman Mahantha Thakur, Sadbhawana Party chairman Rajendra Mahato supported the proposal, among others.
Resignation of Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the Prime Minister following a rift among the ruling parties over the government decision to sack army chief led to the formation of the new government. The Maoist party has said it would continue protest in the parliament and the street unless the President's 'constitutional' move is rectified.
Nepal, the former general secretary of the UML, is the third communist Prime Minister of the country after late Manmohan Adhikari and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. He was deputy prime minister in the minority government of the UML in 2052 B.S.
He remained the uncontested general secretary of the UML for nearly 16 years after the death of then general secretary Madan Bhandari in a mysterious road accident in 2050 B.S. Nepal resigned from the post after the defeat of UML as well as his own in the Constituent Assembly elections last year.
Nepal was later nominated as the CA member under proportional seat vacated by a UML nominee and was subsequently appointed as the head of the Constitutional Committee.
The composition of the new cabinet is yet to be finalised. Nepali Congress, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party are set to join the government, but other are yet to decide whether to participate in it.
Meanwhile, speaking in the House at the start of the session, deputy parliamentary leader of the Unified CPN (Maoist) Narayankaji Shrestha said the new government was being installed at the behest of imperialists, expansionists and the status-quoit forces by crushing civilian supremacy.
He said his party would not support the new government but, as the opposition party, will play strong role in writing the new constitution and brining the peace process to a conclusion. nepalnews.com May 23 09
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