KATHMANDU: Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal was on Saturday elected unopposed as the Prime Minister even though the Unified CPN-Maoist boycotted the entire election process. Two CPN-Unified lawmakers and one from Janata Dal also stayed away.
Nepal (56), who played a significant role in the peace process, garnered the support of 360 lawmakers from the 22 parties represented in the parliament.
Speaker Subas Nembang declared Nepal elected unopposed, as he was the only candidate to file nomination for the top post.
Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala and party’s senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed Nepal’s name. Twenty-two parties seconded the proposal.
“I have a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders. I will accomplish them on the basis of consensus,†Nepal said, after being elected as the new PM.
He was at the helm of the UML for 15 years as its general secretary before resigning from the post following the party’s poor showing in the Constituent Assembly polls. Nepal, however, was nominated to the Constituent Assembly by the Prachanda-led council of ministers to head the Constitutional Committee.
While proposing Nepal as the next Prime Minister, Koirala said consensus and unity among the parties was the only way to move forward.
“Let’s forge consensus, understanding and unity among us,†Koirala said, appreciating Nepal’s role in the peace process. Koirala also floated the idea of constituting a high-profile mechanism of topmost leaders of all parties, including the UCPN-M, to effectively run the new coalition government.
“I have also urged Prachandaji to join this mechanism to move the peace process forward,†Koirala said.
Koirala also said he was clueless on why Prachanda, who accomplished a historic job, made a wrong decision at this juncture. He was referring to Prachanda’s decision to sack the army chief.
“Prachandaji is arguing that Madhavji was defeated in the CA polls. But I think nobody is defeated if you are willing to pursue the path of consensus and reconciliation,†he said.
Earlier, Narayankaji Shrestha, deputy parliamentary leader of the UCNP-M, said his party would boycott the PM’s election process, saying that the House did not discuss the sankalpa prastav his party had registered with the parliament.
“New government is being formed without revoking the President’s unconstitutional move and restoring the civilian supremacy over the army. We will not recognise the new government,†Shrestha said. He said the parliamentary parties were conspiring to isolate the Maoists.
“New government is no solution to the problems facing the country though it may fulfill the desire of someone,†he said, referring to Nepal. He, however, said they would play a constructive role from the opposition and contribute to drafting new constitution.
Extending support to Nepal, three prominent Madhes-based parties — MJF, TMDP and Sadbhavana Party — said they wanted new government to implement the eight-point accord reached between the then government and Joint Democratic Madhesi Front on February 28, 2008.
CP Mainali, general secretary of the CPN-ML, however, opposed the precondition laid down by the Madhesi parties.
Comments
6
Posted on: 2009-05-24 03:39:53
Nepal’s becoming the Prime Minister unopposed has been seen as a silver lining of hope in the clouds of despair and darkness. He was not an elected member but an acceptable person to 22 parties having the support of 350 members in the CA. It is a good sign that a good sense prevailed so that some one could be chosen to lead the CA to fulfil its daunting task of drafting the new constitution in due time. A mammoth task within a less time looks uphill but promising.
Aniket Mohapatra
Posted on: 2009-05-24 03:22:08
The nascent democracy has been facing one formiddable challenge since the very historic moment of April, 2006 that harbingered the coming of democracy to Nepal, i.e. the lack of political consensus among political parties. Squabbles among political parties are perennial. It brings to mind the days of 1990s’ when there were frequent change of governments in quick succession in Nepal. Politicians in Nepal are not at all learning from the pages of history. Even it is harassing to see two governments in the Constituent Assembly. We took four months to form a government and now we have spent one year to think of the provisions regarding a new constitution. We have the deadline upto May, 2010. It’s high time for the politicians to think of the trust and responsibilities the people have vested in them. Nepal’s becoming the second Prime Minister of the FDR of Nepal is a good sign but what Nepal still lacks is the maturity and accountability of the politicians. They must think in terms of the national interest not in terms of their party interests.We are late and we should learn not to delay the process further.
Dr. Anil K. Mohapatra
Posted on: 2009-05-24 01:19:04
i think it will be a matter of months if not weeks before all the spunkiness this new govt. now has is quelled. strange they haven’t realized its just an impasse they have entered into (if in anyway are they serious about the nation). maoists still are (formally) by far the largest party and maybe (informally- esp. under these situations) the most obstinate. some eyes they must have who here see a reconciliation, because the only thing i see is a battle, a fierce one. must be quite an spectacle in the offing for an outsider. ghastly for me (at least) tho.