Nepal fails to choose its PM

Kathmandu : Nepal’s lawmakers on Sunday failed to choose a new prime minister as a fresh poll witnessed a split result that is not enough for the hot seat of Kathmandu.

Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias??Prachanda? got 240 votes while Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel received only?122 ballots in the vote held for the sixth consecutive time.

A candidate needs 300 votes to win the election.

The ongoing impasse that persists over two months after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned, has led to political chaos and further delayed the peace process and drafting of the new constitution.

The poll’s outcome was clear before voting as CPN-UML (108 votes) and United Democratic Madhesi Forum, the three party conglomeration of Madhesi parties with 57 votes, had announced their decision to abstain.

The fourth constituent of UDMF, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (25 votes), dissociated itself ahead of voting expressing dissatisfaction with the group?s decision to abstain.

Apart from the third round of voting when 11 MPs from UDMF disobeyed the collective decision and voted in favour of ?Prachanda?, lawmakers from the front have been abstaining from voting in all previous rounds.

Although MJF leader Jay Prakash Gupta had blamed UDMF for holding the country to hostage, no lawmaker from the party took part in today?s voting.

As per the interim constitution, the voting process would continue till a candidate secures the votes required to win. No new candidate can enter the fray midway.