Nepal assembly to elect prime minister on Friday

Nepal assembly to elect prime minister on Friday

2008-08-11 14:38:04 -

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Nepal's Constituent Assembly decided Monday to try to end months of political deadlock by electing a prime minister this week who will then form a new national government, an official said. Assembly spokesman Mukund Sharma said political parties will nominate candidates by Thursday and the assembly will vote on Friday.
The country's political parties have struggled without success to form a government following assembly elections in April in which none achieved a majority. The largest party _ the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) _ won 226 seats in the 594-member assembly and had been expected to lead a coalition government. However, attempts by the Maoist party to woo other parties have not been successful. Its candidate for the country's presidency was defeated last month in an assembly vote when the three other main parties formed a temporary alliance against it.
A caretaker government led by interim Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is currently running the country.

The Maoists gave up an armed revolt in April 2006 to join a peace process after 10 years of fighting that left more than 13,000 people dead. They joined mainstream politics a year later and became the largest political party in the April elections.