Bhattarai elected as Nepal’s new Prime Minister

The agreement renders redundant some of the major commitments made in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2006. In contrast to the CPA,the agreement states that all cases of human right violations pending against Madheshi activists and leaders,as well as the Maoists,during the years of insurgency will be withdrawn.

Besides the Madheshi groups,Bhattarai managed to get the support of smaller Left parties during the House vote. Bhattarai,the 35th prime minister of the country,is the fourth to be elected in the past three years. He has assumed the top post at a time when country’s economy is in shambles and political parties stand discredited for their failure to consolidate peace in the country and constitute a new constitution.

For his part,Bhattarai who holds a PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University,said his government “will give top priority to concluding the peace process and drafting a new constitution”.

The new prime minister faces a daunting task of keeping party chief Prachanda happy,given their tumultuous relationship in the past. While proposing Bhattarai’s name for the top post in the House,Prachanda said,“It is not the individual,but the party that is important.”