Nepal President calls special parliament session

The deadlocked prime ministerial poll in Nepal could finally get resolved with President Ram Baran Yadav calling a special session of parliament beginning December 19.

Updated on: Dec 14, 2010, 14:50:30 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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The deadlocked prime ministerial poll in Nepal could finally get resolved with President Ram Baran Yadav calling a special session of parliament beginning December 19.

The move follows a request made by 187 lawmakers mostly belonging to United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and other smaller opposition parties.

According to Nepal's interim constitution, the President should convene a House session within 15 days if at least one-fourth of the total members of parliament demand it.

The President's move is the first minor victory for Maoists, the largest party in parliament, who have been trying in vain to return to power for the past one and half years.

The previous session was prorogued on November 19 when Maoist lawmakers manhandled Finance Minister Surendra Pandey while he was on his way to present the annual budget.

The same session had witnessed 16 rounds of failed voting since July to elect a new prime minister.

Nepal has been without an effective government since June 30 when Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned.

The PM poll had three candidates, but with Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) chairman Jhalanath Khanal bowing out, Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel is the sole candidate in fray.

Rules stipulate that the election process would continue till the last candidate remains and with Maoists and CPN (UML) abstaining from voting, the poll process is unlikely to yield any result.

Maoists want the special session to amend existing rules so that the present election process ends and a new one started to end the unending cycle of voting without results.

Nepali Congress has ruled out withdrawing from the contest and is demanding that its candidate should be declared winner.

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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