Four major political formations have put up their candidates for prime-ministerial elections in Parliament in Nepal. Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda', Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) chairman Jhalanath Khanal, and a leader of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) Bijay Kumar Gachhedar filed their nominations in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The first round of voting is on Thursday.
While Mr. Prachanda's candidature was proposed by party vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Mr. Khanal's name was proposed by the UML chief whip Bhim Acharya.
There was a major rift within the NC, with senior leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba lobbying for his own candidature. But the party decided to re-nominate Mr. Poudel.
Mr. Gachhedar, who heads the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Democratic), was backed by two other Madhesi parties — Tarai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana.
It is unclear whether the other major Madhesi party, the Upendra Yadav-led MJF, will vote for Mr. Gachhedar. No party has a simple majority in the house of 601.
Political sources from Kathmandu told The Hindu that the first round will essentially be a “show of strength”, with little possibility that any candidate will be able to muster the 301 votes required to get elected. Under the new election regulations, all candidates then compete in a second round, scheduled for Saturday. The top two candidates will move to the third round of voting on Sunday.
Sources said that various permutations and combinations are possible. If Mr. Prachanda decides to withdraw after the first round and backs Mr. Khanal, as he has hinted in the past, a UML-led government with Maoist support is possible. However, if he does not do so, the stand taken by the UML and Madhesi front in the third round will become decisive.
To ensure a result, the new regulation states that lawmakers will no longer have the option of voting against a candidate. But if a major party boycotts the vote in future rounds, it is possible that no Prime Minister will be elected yet again. The process will then begin afresh.
