Prachanda poised to be Nepal PM

Kathmandu, Aug. 14: Maoists chief Prachanda was all set to be elected as Nepal’s next Prime Minister after two prominent parties agreed to back him in Friday’s contest against the Nepali Congress, a breakthrough that will end a four-month-long stand off over government formation.

"We have reached an agreement to form a government led by Maoists after we agreed on a seven point agenda," CPN(UML) leader Ishwor Pokharel said on Thursday announcing the pact among his party, the CPN(Maoist) and Madhesi People’s Rights Forum.

Pushpa Kalam Dahal or Prachanda, 53, has projected himself as the Prime Minister-in-waiting after leading the former rebels to a surprise victory in the April 10 elections, their first taste of democracy after giving up a decade-old armed struggle against the monarchy in 2006.

The Maoist leader filed his nomination papers on Thursday at Constituent Assembly office at the International Convention Centre here, minutes before the process was to end at 5pm. CPN(UML) general secretary Jhalanath Khanal proposed the nomination while Terai-based MPRF chief Upendra Yadav seconded it, official sources said.

With odds heavily stacked against it, an isolated Nepali Congress of caretaker Prime Minister G.P. Koirala fielded former Premier Sher Bahadur Deuba against Mr Prachanda, dashing the Maoist chief’s hopes of being elected uncontested.

"We will try our best to win the election, but if we loose we will play the role of a responsible opposition," Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudyal said.

The Maoists, which have 220 seats in the 601-member house, will easily get the simple majority with the support of CPN(UML) that has 103 legislators and MPRF with 52 members.

—PTI