Forgot your password?
Prachanda: Elected Prime Minister
By Kathmandu Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
On Friday, August 15, 2008, the Constituent Assembly elected the Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, Prachanda the first Prime Minister of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal by more than two-third majority. Out of 577 votes, he received 464 votes, and 113 votes of the Nepali Congress members of the Constituent Assembly went against him. Out of 25 parties on the Constituent Assembly, members of 21 parties voted for him; members of the Nepali Congress voted against him whereas members of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party did not attend the assembly session; other members of parties such as Communist Party of Nepal-United and Rastriya Janashakti Party abstained from voting.
Immediately after the election for Prime Minister, in a statement Prachanda declared that he relinquished the position of the Supreme Commander of the People’s Liberation Army, and all other Constituent Assembly members belonging to his party and holding different positions of the People’s Army also relinquished their respective positions in the People’s Liberation Army. He also said in the statement that the Young Communist League would no more have the semi-military status; and would return all the property seized during the conflict to the rightful owners.
Prachanda became the second-elected communist Prime Minister after Manmohan Adhikari became the first elected communist Prime Minister after his party called Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist won a largest number of seats in the general election held for the then parliament in 1994. However, his government lasted only for nine months, as it could not prove its majority in the parliament. Then, the Nepali Congress formed a coalition government in alliance with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
Immediately after the Speaker of the Constituent Assembly declared the election of Prachanda for Prime Minister, caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala congratulated him, and then his rival Sher Bahadur Deuba and many other Constituent Assembly members lined up to congratulated him.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Prachanda on the election for Prime Minister, and expressed desire to see him in India at his convenience. Japan, USA and European Union also congratulated Prachanda on the election for Prime Minister.
Prachanda won the election for the seat on the Constituent Assembly at two constituencies: Kathmandu – 10, and Rolpa. Political analysts say that he is the most successful politician in Nepal. He has succeeded in all his missions. He got setback in the election for the first president of Nepal but even in that he succeeded in getting his idea through it. However, all the Constituent Assembly members taking part in the discussion before the election for Prime Minister warned him of the coming days of his administration would not be so easy; he might need to walk on the tight rope, as his party holds only a large number of seats on the Constituent Assembly; so, the junior partners in the alliance hold the balance of power.
One day before the election for Prime Minister, his Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, had entered into an alliance with Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist and Madheshi People’s Rights Forum reaching a seven-point agreement. These three political parties together with other smaller parties would form a coalition government.
