Lokendra Bahadur Chand elected Nepal PM
Lokendra Bahadur Chand, parliamentary group leader of the centrist Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, was appointed Nepal's new prime minister by the country’s constitutional monarch King Birendra.
Chand, who heads a multi-party coalition, is the fourth elected prime minister of the Hindu Himalayan nation since restoration of multi-party parliamentary democracy here less than seven years ago.
A palace communique stated Chand’s was the only claim to forming a new government at the expiry of deadline, set by King Birendra for 6 pm Monday. The king had called for claims to form the government Friday.
Chand had presented a list of 103 names with signatures Monday afternoon at the Narayanhity palace. The list included names of all 90 CPN(UML) MPs, 10 of the 19 members of the RPP in the Pratinidhi Sabha, the lower house of parliament, two of the three Nepal Sadbhavana Party members and one from the Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party.
Chand's appointment came in the wake of outgoing Premier Sher Bahadur Deuba -- who led a coalition of three parties headed by the Nepali Congress for 18 months – resigning after he lost a confidence vote Thursday by two votes, getting 101 votes instead of the required 103.
Chand's supporters now claim that, additionally, they have the support of two more RPP members, an equal number from the ultra-left CPN (Masal) faction -- registered as independents in the Pratinidhi Sabha -- and NMKP President Narayan Man Bijukchhe 'Rohit'. In a statement later Rohit said his party was extending ''conditional and critical support'' to Chand.
According to the constitution, Chand will have to secure the confidence of the Pratinidhi Sabha within a month of his appointment as prime minister and, thereby, the leader of the House.
|
