Space Travel News  
DEMOCRACY
Nepal lawmakers elect Maoist chief as prime minister
By Paavan MATHEMA
Kathmandu (AFP) Aug 3, 2016


Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal pledged Wednesday to unite a country hit by deadly protests over constitutional changes after lawmakers elected the Maoist leader and former guerrilla to head a new government.

Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or "the fierce one", led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal.

He is now tasked with rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over the new national charter adopted last September.

"I pledge that I will unite everyone in the country," he said in an address to parliament before the vote.

"I have a responsibility to solve this problem. I feel that I have been put forward as a candidate to work as a bridge between (communities)," he said.

Dahal will also have to mend relations with powerful neighbour India, which made no secret of its disapproval of the constitution.

Indians living near the Nepali border have close links with Nepal's Madhesi ethnic minority, which complains that the new charter leaves them marginalised.

Kathmandu in turn accused New Delhi of supporting a months-long border blockade by Madhesi protesters that cut off vital supplies from India and prompted fuel-starved Nepal to turn to China for help.

Following Wednesday's election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that New Delhi would offer Dahal "our full support" and invited him to visit the country -- a traditional first stop for Nepali prime ministers heading overseas.

Commentators cautioned that the brash leader, who has vowed to honour the previous government's economic agreements with China, will need to tread carefully to win New Delhi's confidence without losing Beijing's support.

"He should balance relations with both neighbours," said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of Nepali daily Nagarik.

"They are both economic powers and he should try to win benefits for Nepal from both," Luitel told AFP.

Dahal, head of the Maoist party, ran unopposed and secured 363 out of 573 votes to become the Himalayan nation's premier for a second time.

He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2008, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning.

Dahal, whose Maoists are the third-largest force in parliament, pulled out of a coalition led by Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli -- the former prime minister -- three weeks ago and secured the support of the biggest party, the Nepali Congress.

He also won the backing of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) -- an alliance of protesting parties -- paving the way for warmer ties between the new government and Madhesi demonstrators.

- 'Power games' -

Oli, who heads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), faced fierce criticism over his handling of the protests.

More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters demanding revisions to federal state borders set out in the new charter.

Dahal is expected to be more sympathetic to protesters' concerns following the Madhesi parties' decision to back his candidacy.

But any changes to the constitution must be passed in parliament by a two-thirds majority, meaning he will likely need to reach out to Oli's UML, which holds 182 out of 595 seats, for support.

The new charter, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal's transformation from a Hindu monarchy to a democratic republic after decades of political instability.

But continuing discussions between the government and protesters have failed to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, some four million Nepalis are still living in tents or huts after an earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015.

Nepalis frustrated by the slow pace of reconstruction said they had few hopes for the new government.

"So many who lost their homes in the earthquake are still in shelters. But (politicians) are always busy playing power games," said Nabin Shrestha, who drives a three-wheeler for a living.

Prachanda will be the eighth prime minister to lead Nepal since 2008, when he became premier for the first time and overthrew a 240-year-old feudal monarchy.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
DEMOCRACY
Council of Europe chief backs Turkey 'clean-up' after coup
Istanbul (AFP) Aug 3, 2016
The head of a top European rights watchdog Wednesday backed a "cleaning up" of Turkish institutions after a failed coup blamed on supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Despite growing concern over the post-coup crackdown, Council of Europe chief Thorbjorn Jagland said there had been insufficient understanding in Europe about the challenges faced by Turkey. His comments came as ... read more


DEMOCRACY
The rise of commercial spaceports

India earned Rs 230 crore through satellite launch services in FY16

US Plan to Diversify Expendable Space Launch Vehicles Being Questioned

Intelsat 33e arrives at the Spaceport for Arianespace's August launch with Ariane 5

DEMOCRACY
Digging deeper into Mars

Engine burn gives Mars mission a kick

NASA's Viking Data Lives on, Inspires 40 Years Later

Opportunity Rover wrapping up work within Marathon Valley

DEMOCRACY
Heart hazard for Apollo astronauts: study

Asteroid that formed moon's Imbrium Basin may have been protoplanet-sized

Russian and US engineers plan manned moon mission

SSTL and Goonhilly announce partnership and a call for lunar orbit payloads

DEMOCRACY
Scientists attempt to explain Neptune atmosphere's wobble

New Distant Dwarf Planet Beyond Neptune

Researchers discover distant dwarf planet beyond Neptune

New Horizons Receives Mission Extension to the Kuiper Belt

DEMOCRACY
Alien Solar System Boasts Tightly Spaced Planets, Unusual Orbits

NASA's Next Planet Hunter Will Look Closer to Home

First atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets reveals rocky worlds

Atmospheric chemistry on paper

DEMOCRACY
India Set to Test Domestically-Produced Scramjet Engine in Third Quarter

NASA completes first shell buckling tests with a bang

Reaction Engines secures funding to enable development of SABRE demonstrator engine

A Peek Inside SLS: Fuel Tank For World's Largest Rocket Nears Completion

DEMOCRACY
China to expand int'l astronauts exchange

China's Agreement with United Nations to Help Developing Countries Get Access to Space

Chinese tracking ship Yuanwang-7 starts maiden voyage

Chinese mega-telescope obtains data on 7 million stars

DEMOCRACY
Farewell Philae: Earth severs link with silent comet probe

The Case of the Missing Ceres Craters

How comets are born

SwRI-led study shows puzzling paucity of large craters on dwarf planet Ceres









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.