Asia-Pacific

Nepal's 8th-round poll fails to elect new PM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-26 20:20

KATHMANDU - Nepal's eighth round of election for prime minister has failed again to elect a new prime minister on Sunday.

The election ended after candidate of the Nepali Congress (NC) Ram Chandra Poudel failed to garner majority votes, after the two largest parties -- the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists ( UCPN-M) and Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN- UML) -- did not participate in the election.

Out of the 599 present Constituent Assembly (CA) members, 116 voted in favor, two voted against and 71 remained neutral.

The date for the next round of election has been set for the end of this month. The previous seven rounds of elections failed to elect a new prime minister as proposed candidates failed to get simple majority votes -- 301 votes out of the 601 lawmakers in the Parliament.

According to Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007, a candidate must get majority votes to win the election.

Meanwhile, Prachanda, Chairman of Nepal's largest party Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M), withdrew his electoral candidacy after signing an agreement with Communist Party Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on September 18.

The two leftist parties have also agreed not to participate in the election. Without participation of the two parties, no candidate can garner majority votes in the parliament.

Similarly, as per the interim constitution, until and unless both the candidates withdraw their candidacy, the CA Chair will continue to announce new dates for the elections. Only after both the parties withdraw their candidacy, can the new amendment in the constitution be made and new provisions can be declared.