Two candidates: Deuba and Prachanda for a Prime Minister
By Kathmandu Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
On Thursday, August 14, 2008, former Prime Minister and Senior Leader of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba filed his nomination for a Prime Minister. The Nepali Congress elected him a parliamentary leader before filling a nomination for a Prime Minister. Thus, the Nepali Congress sidelined caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. He is leaving the official residence of Prime Minister on Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) Prachanda also filed his nomination for a Prime Minister after signing a seven-point agreement with the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) and Madheshi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) for forming a coalition government. General Secretary of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal and MPRF leader Upendra Yadav supported the nomination of Prachanda for a Prime Minister. The total strength of these three parties: CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and MPRF is 385 out of 594 strength of the Constituent Assembly (CA).
The CA holds an election for a Prime Minister on Friday, August 15, 2008, first for the election of Sher Bahadur Deuba; if he could not get the required majority of 298, then, the CA holds an election of Prachanda for a Prime Minister.
According to the Nepalese press, leaders of these three parties: CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and MPRF have also agreed to allocate the ministerial portfolios to their respective parties. Following the agreement the parties have reached, the CPN-Maoist receives the portfolios of Prime Minister, Defense and so on; the CPN-UML receives portfolios of Home, Foreign and so on, the MPRF receives portfolios of Hydropower, Information and so on.