Kathmandu: Nepalese lawmakers will elect
a new Prime Minister on July 21 following a direction by
President Ram Baran Yadav to form a majority government after
they failed to reach a consensus on a leader.
Subas Nembang, the Speaker of the 601-member
Constituent Assembly, which functions as the country's
parliament, said the election for the new Prime Minister would
be held on July 21 at 11 AM in the full meeting of the House.
"I have decided to hold the election for next PM at 11
AM on July 21," Nembang was quoted as saying by the Himalayan
Times online today.
Ahead of announcing the date of the election, the
Speaker read out the message sent by the President. It asked
the Parliament to form a majority government as per Article 38
(2) of the Interim Constitution as the parties were unable to
form a national consensus government within the extended
timeframe, the report said.
In an attempt to end the political instability
plaguing Nepal, the President yesterday asked the parties to
form a majority government after they failed to reach a
consensus on a new Prime Minister.
In a letter to the Parliament, Yadav directed the
political parties to form a majority government as per Article
38(2) of the Interim Constitution.
He asked the Parliament to start the process of
electing a Prime Minister through majority vote from among the
601 members of the parliament.
As the second deadline set by the President to form a
consensus government expired, the process of forming a
majority government would start as per the Article 38 (2) of
the constitution, the President's Press adviser Rajendra Dahal
said.
The support of at least 301 members is needed to form
a majority government in the 601 member House.
Earlier, the President had called on the political
parties to form a consensus government as per the Article 38
(1) of the Interim Constitution.
The political crisis in Nepal deepened after a crucial
meeting of the three major parties -- main Opposition
UCPN-Maoist, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of
Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the key alliance partners in
the caretaker government-- yesterday failed to agree on a name
for the post of the Prime Minister based on consensus.
President Yadav set a July 7 deadline to suggest a
name for the post of the Prime Minister based on consensus
following the resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal
on June 30. However, the failure of the parties to meet the
deadline forced him to extend it to July 12.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 20:18