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CPN Maoist Center Chairman Dahal becomes sole candidate for Nepal's prime minister post

Xinhua, August 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

CPN Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal filed his candidacy for the post of prime minister in the parliament on Tuesday. With the candidacy, Dahal has become the sole contender in the elections of head of the government slated for Wednesday morning.

Former prime minister Dahal filed his candidacy this morning as the Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed Dahal and Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara seconded him.

Publishing a notice, the Parliament Secretariat informed that Dahal has become the only candidate in the PM elections.

However, Dahal needs to face voting from the members of parliament to be the country's 39th Prime Minister.

Dahal is backed by Nepali Congress, the largest party in the Parliament along with Madhes-based parties. As per local media reports, at least 357 lawmakers from 16 parties have extended support to Dahal to make him the new Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation.

Currently, there are 595 members in the Parliament.

The ruling party CPN UML led by KP Sharma Oli has decided not to field candidacy for the PM elections. A meeting of the Standing Committee held on Tuesday has decided to vote against CPN Maoist Centre Chairman Dahal as they opt to stay as the major opposition.

Nepal decided to form a new government on the basis of majority votes as per the call by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Monday following the failure of major parties to form a consensus government.

The elections will begin at 11 am local time on Wednesday.

The latest political development came after previous prime minister Oli resigned from the post last week after the parties in the parliament filed no-confidence motion against the government. Enditem