Nepal parliament to choose new premier on Sunday
Nepal’s parliament says it set to choose a new prime minister soon, weeks after the country’s lawmakers passed a controversial constitution despite widespread protests to the move.
The Nepalese unicameral legislature announced Friday that it will hold a voting session on Sunday to select a new prime minister.
Sushil Koirala, the incumbent prime minister, is stepping down as required by the new constitution that took effect on September 20. The constitution mandates a new government needs to take over within several weeks.
Parliament Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang said the decision was made after political parties within the 598-member chamber failed to reach consensus on a candidate for the post.
Communist Party of Nepal, spearheaded by Marxist-Leninist Khadga Prasad Oli, is a strong contender for the post though he failed to achieve a consensus in his favor.
Nembang further said parties can file their nominations on Saturday, adding that if none of the candidates is able to win a majority of 299 votes, a new date will be set for re-elections.
The new national constitution aims to restructure Nepal as a federal state made up of seven provinces, and draw a line under a decade-long civil war that ended in 2006.
The document has drawn angry reactions from residents of southern Nepal, who argue that the new internal borders will discriminate against historically marginalized communities. Clashes between protesters and police have left 40 people dead.
The members of marginalized groups demand their own separate province. The groups include the Madhesi and Tharu ethnic minorities, who mainly inhabit the country’s southern plains.
In early June, Nepal’s major rival political parties, spurred on by a devastating earthquake, reached a historic agreement to end years of deadlock on the new constitution for the country. Four parties – two ruling and two opposition – inked a historic deal, including on a settlement over the issue of federalism, which was the main bone of contention among political parties.
Regional parties have long pushed for new provinces to be created along lines that could favor historically marginalized communities. Other parties saw the demand as divisive and threatening the national unity.
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