Deadline over; voting to decide Nepal’s next PM

Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav has asked parliament to select the country’s next prime minister by majority vote after the deadline to form a consensus government ended on Wednesday.

Updated on: Aug 25, 2011, 24:48:26 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav has asked parliament to select the country’s next prime minister by majority vote after the deadline to form a consensus government ended on Wednesday.

As per provision of the interim constitution, Yadav wrote to parliament to start the election process as bickering among parties over heading the next government led them to miss the 5pm deadline.

There is a tussle among Maoists, the largest party in parliament and Nepali Congress over leading the next government.

Despite several rounds of meetings among all parties over the past few days there was no consensus on Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist candidate and Sher Bahadur Deuba, the NC contender for the PM’s post.

The fresh political crisis in Nepal started on August 7 after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigned to make way for a consensus government aimed at speeding up the peace and constitution drafting processes.

President Yadav had initially asked all parties to form a consensus government within August 21, but extended it by another three days after there was no agreement among major parties on power sharing.

With the parties failing to meet the second deadline, selection of the new PM would now be through majority vote in parliament. Since no party enjoys majority it could be another long drawn process.

Nepal had witnessed 16 rounds of voting spread over seven months after Khanal’s predecessor resigned in June last year.

Khanal, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) chief, managed to get elected in February with Maoist support.

Prolonged political instability has affected the peace process as well drafting of a new constitution—both of which have to be completed within August 31—the day when the Constituent Assembly’s tenure expires.

Since these tasks won’t be completed within that deadline, the caretaker cabinet on Tuesday decided to amend the interim constitution one more time and extend the CA tenure by another three months.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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