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Journalism of Courage
Senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai,became Nepals Prime Minister Sunday.
Bhattarai,secured 340 votes out of the 574 votes cast in the House. The victory was an outcome of a four-point agreement that Maoist chief Prachanda and leaders of the United Madheshi Democratic Front (UMDF) signed on Sunday morning.
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violations pending against Madheshi activists and leaders,as well as the Maoists,during the years of insurgency will be withdrawn.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 countrys 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 Bhattarais name for the top post in the House,Prachanda said,It is not the individual,but the party that is important.
