Political turmoil in Nepal as sixth round of voting falters (1st Lead)

Sep 5, 2010, 13:01 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal's parliament failed Sunday to produce a result in the sixth round of voting to elect a prime minister in two months.

The failure to elect a new premier has thrown the Himalayan nation deeper into political turmoil. Nepal has been under a caretaker government since June 30, when prime minister Madhav Kumar resigned under pressure from Maoists to form a power-sharing government.

The voting delay has left the country still awaiting a full budget, which has also started taking a toll on the administration.

Maoist candidate Pushpa Kamal Dahal garnered 240 votes on Sunday, while Nepali Congress candidate Ram Chandra Poudel won 122.

A candidate needs 300 votes from the 601-member parliament to win. Just over 500 parliamentarians voted Sunday. Participation in the elections has dwindled as the process has dragged on.

'The parliament must decide soon,' Poudel said. 'We can't call it attempts to find consensus if the parliament remains neutral.'

The third largest party in parliament, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninists (CPN-UML), abstained from Sunday's election - as it has done in all of the previous voting rounds.

'The two candidates should withdraw their candidacy and we should go for national consensus,' CPN-UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal said as he walked out of parliament. 'We can amend the regulations to find a different resolution.'

The fourth largest group in parliament, the Madhesi Front, also abstained from voting as it remained divided over the decision.

'We will hold talks within our party and talk to the other parties, including the civil society, about finding an outlet,' Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said.