Kathmandu, July 22
Sher Bahadur Deuba, who once led a shaky coalition government, was today elected Nepal’s new Prime Minister by a majority of lawmakers from the ruling Nepali Congress.
Mr Deuba received 72 votes in the party’s leadership election to head the ninth government since democracy was restored in this Himalayan nation 11 years ago.
“I will be talking to the opposition parties first where we will decide on a common approach to deal with the Maoist problem. Very soon we will have a dialogue with the Maoist rebels,” Mr Deuba told reporters after being declared the winner.
Mr Deuba defeated his only opponent 63-year-old Sushil Koirala, a nephew of Girija Prasad Koirala, who resigned on Thursday as Prime Minister after leading Nepal for most of the past 11 years since the country’s absolute monarchy ended in a popular revolt.
Election official Basu Risal said Koirala trailed with 40 votes while one vote was declared invalid.
Mr Deuba would be taking over country’s top political job for the second time. He had led a shaky coalition government for 18 months between 1995 and 1997 but was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament when two of his own lawmakers failed to show up during voting over differences with him.
AP
