KATHMANDU: Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Sunday evening appointed Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda as new Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation.
Out of the Parliament's 265 lawmakers, Prachanda has claimed the support of 170 members. As per the Article 76 (2) of the Constitution, President Bhandari has appointed Prachanda as the Prime Minister of Nepal, reads a statement issued by the President's office. He will be the administered the oath of office and secrecy on Monday at 4 pm, Tika Dhakal, Information and Communication aide to President Bhandari, said.
Prachanda will replace incumbent Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress. He had earlier staked the claim to lead the new government in the Himalayan nation. Backed by seven political parties - his own CPN-Maoist Centre, the CPN-UML, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Janamat Party, the Janata Samajbadi Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party - and three independent candidates, Prachanda had reached the President's Office on Sunday evening and submitted a letter claiming that he has received support from majority of the members of parliament as per the constitutional provision.
Prachanda's party walked out of the Nepali Congress-led alliance on Sunday afternoon after a failed attempt to reach a consensus with its president Deuba. With the Congress refusing to share none of the posts of the Prime Minister and the President with the Maoist Centre, Prachanda had told Deuba that his party cannot remain in the coalition any longer. He then went to Balkot to meet UML chair Oli. They were later joined by the key leaders of other parties.
As per the agreement between Prachanda and UML's KP Oli, Prachanda will be Prime Minister for the first half of the next five-year term. IANS
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