The Nepal Parliament was unable to elect a new Prime Minister even as a sixth run-off took place on Sunday. Prachanda,Chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoists (UCPN-M),secured 240 votes,almost double the tally that his only rival Ramchandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress. However,he fell short of the minimum requirement by 60 votes. The 601-member Parliament rejected Poudel who secured 122 votes. Poudel was opposed by 242 lawmakers,while Prachanda got 101 votes against him. Prachandas marathon exercise to get four Madhesi parties,with a combined strength of 82,to vote for him backfired at the last minute after three of them Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Democratic),the Terai Madhesi Loktantrik Party and the Nepal Sadhbhavana Party remained neutral. The Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum boycotted voting. The Communist Party of Nepal,Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) also remained neutral just like it has been in the past five rounds. The two factions of the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum,which have 54 members together,had been apporached by the Maoists with an offer for their support. The Maoists promised them that their leaders Bijay Gachchedar of the MJF(D) and Upendra Yadav of the MJF would be made Deputy Prime Ministers with the portfolios of Home and Foreign Affairs respectively. The two,however,didnt accept the offer after pressure from other Madhesi groups. Sundays setback comes as a blow to both contestants and for major political parties as anger among the people has become apparent. Smaller parties have maintained that a House that cannot give a Prime Minister to the country in two months does not have the right to exist. Madhav Kumar Nepal continues to function as the caretaker Prime Minister,even though he had resigned from the post on July 1st,amid intense pressure from the Maoists,plunging the country into a deep crisis in the absence of a government. The caretaker government is facing a serious economic crisis amid its failure to approve a Budget for the current fiscal year. The date for next round of election has been fixed for September 7. (with PTI inputs)
