Nepal parliament elects Koirala as new prime minister
Nepal\’s parliament picked a social democrat as its new prime minister on Monday after a last-minute power-sharing deal ended a deadlock that had lasted since an election two months ago.
Sushil Koirala, the chief for the Nepali Congress party, was elected (with 405 votes of the 605-member parliament) Monday with the support of the communist UML party. It was not immediately clear whether other parties will join the coalition government.
Koirala, 76, is the fourth member of his family to become prime minister. He must now oversee the drafting of a new constitution.
The previous parliament was supposed to have written a new constitution in 2008 following the end of a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the overthrow of the centuries-old monarchy. However, the legislative body was riven by infighting and never finished its work.
The former Maoist rebels, who have dominated Nepal\’s politics since joining the mainstream, suffered a stunning defeat in the November polls.
Source: Agencies
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