Maoists to allow vote for Nepal PM
Friday, 22 May 2009
KATMANDU, May 21 (AP): Nepal's Maoists have agreed to stop blocking parliamentary proceedings so lawmakers can choose a new government to ease the country's political crisis, the parliament speaker said Thursday.
However, lawmakers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) said that although they had agreed to lift their protests for Thursday, they would permanently end them only if the chamber takes up a motion censuring President Ram Baran Yadav.
The country's Maoist prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, sparked the political upheaval early this month when he resigned to protest Yadav's refusal to fire the country's army chief in a dispute over integrating former Maoist rebels into the military.
The Maoist lawmakers who represent the Himalayan nation's former rebels have held up the selection of a new prime minister, but are now agreeing to allow the process to go forward, parliament Speaker Subash Nemwang said Thursday.
An alliance of 22 political parties has already named Madhav Kumar Nepal as their candidate for the prime minister. The alliance claims to have the support of 350 lawmakers in the 601-seat parliament, more than the simple majority required to elect a prime minister.
Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma said his party's delegation would lift its demonstrations in the assembly hall only if lawmakers take up a motion accusing Yadav of violating the constitution by blocking Dahal's order to fire army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal. Dahal had accused Katawal of blocking moves to integrate ex-rebels into the army, a condition of a peace agreement that led the rebels to give up their armed revolt three years ago.
The motion against the president is largely symbolic and cannot force him out of office.
However, lawmakers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) said that although they had agreed to lift their protests for Thursday, they would permanently end them only if the chamber takes up a motion censuring President Ram Baran Yadav.
The country's Maoist prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, sparked the political upheaval early this month when he resigned to protest Yadav's refusal to fire the country's army chief in a dispute over integrating former Maoist rebels into the military.
The Maoist lawmakers who represent the Himalayan nation's former rebels have held up the selection of a new prime minister, but are now agreeing to allow the process to go forward, parliament Speaker Subash Nemwang said Thursday.
An alliance of 22 political parties has already named Madhav Kumar Nepal as their candidate for the prime minister. The alliance claims to have the support of 350 lawmakers in the 601-seat parliament, more than the simple majority required to elect a prime minister.
Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma said his party's delegation would lift its demonstrations in the assembly hall only if lawmakers take up a motion accusing Yadav of violating the constitution by blocking Dahal's order to fire army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal. Dahal had accused Katawal of blocking moves to integrate ex-rebels into the army, a condition of a peace agreement that led the rebels to give up their armed revolt three years ago.
The motion against the president is largely symbolic and cannot force him out of office.