Nepal parties ready for fresh tussle

After a 45-day hiatus since the 16th round of voting, political parties in Nepal are getting ready for a fresh tussle over the deadlocked prime ministerial poll. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Dec 19, 2010, 24:47:46 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

After a 45-day hiatus since the 16th round of voting, political parties in Nepal are getting ready for a fresh tussle over the deadlocked prime ministerial poll.

But the special parliament session called by President Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday at behest of opposition Maoists to resolve the deadlock is unlikely to yield any outcome.

Maoists and like-minded parties want the poll process to start afresh while Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist)-led ruling coalition is against it. Maoists also want amendment of constitutional provisions that require unending rounds of voting to elect a PM till one candidate secures majority.

"Members of the ruling coalition have agreed to vote out the Maoist proposal to start the PM poll afresh," said CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali.

While the session may prove unfruitful, there's fresh hope within the ruling coalition of forming the next government as CPN-UML, which remained neutral in previous rounds of voting, has decided to vote in future.

At present Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel is the lone candidate in the poll and NC and CPN (UML) - the leading partners in the coalition - are discussing who should lead the next government.

Support of CPN-UML, the third largest party after Maoists and NC with 108 MPs, is crucial for Poudel to secure the prime minister's post.

A fresh Supreme Court ruling terming decision by some parties to abstain or remain neutral in previous rounds of voting as unconstitutional has added a new turn to the impasse. Nepal has been without an effective government since June 30.

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

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.