Amid boycott of the meeting by Unified CPN (Maoist) and Nepali Janata Dal, a fringe party, and walkout by CPN (Unified), the meeting elected Nepal to the country´s chief executive post. After no one filed candidacy against Nepal, he was declared elected unopposed.
Speaker Subas Nembang announced at the meeting that there was only proposal registered in the parliament, seeking Madhav Nepal´s election to prime minister´s post.
"That´s why, this House declares that Madhav Kumar Nepal is elected as prime minister unopposed under Article 38.2 of the Interim Constitution and Rule 7.5 of the Legislature-Parliament Regulations 2063," said Nembang.
Altogether 21 political parties including Nepali Congress, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhawana Party and CPN-ML and two independent lawmakers supported Nepal´s candidacy proposed by Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala.
Newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal greets supporters in parliament after being elected unopposed in Kathmandu on May 23, 2009.
Keshab Thoker
Related story
10 candidates elected unopposed in local polls in Taplejung
Maoist lawmakers under their deputy parliamentary party leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha boycotted the entire election process, terming it a ploy by counter-revolutionary forces.
The Maoists who make 238 seats in the 601-member parliament said their party has decided not to take part in the process as the government to be formed without restoring civilian supremacy would be a puppet of the army or foreigners.
CPN (Unified) with two seats in the House walked out saying that it would be futile to take part in a process that can not give solution to the country´s outstanding problems while Nepali Janata Dal´s Gayatri Sah said her party would not take part in the prime minister´s election until the president´s move was corrected. A member in her two-member party in the House, however, supported Nepal.
The parliament was able to hold elections for picking prime minister after more than two weeks´ gap due to continuous obstruction of the House by Maoist lawmakers. They agreed to allow the House to run smoothly only on Thursday after Speaker Nembang took into notice a resolution filed by them demanding that the House instruct the president to correct his move.
Coming out of the meeting, Nepal said he has seen serious challenges ahead and was resolute in resolving the problems through consensus. "I will keep up the culture of collaboration and consensus alive," he made a quick comment.
Flanked by party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Nepal greeted the audience outside the CA building and headed directly to his Koteshwar residence. Date for swearing-in has not been made public yet, but sources close to Nepal said they are preparing for the function Monday afternoon. By then at least five ministers from major ruling parties will be picked up for the swearing-in ceremony.
