Nepal’s parliament elects Communist party leader new PM

New Delhi would have preferred outgoing Prime Minister Sushil Koirala of the Nepali Congress to return to power. He comes to office amid high hopes that he can mend things in the country, which is ridden by political instability and still in the midst of post-earthquake reconstruction. About 14 parliamentarians refrained from voting. Parliament speaker Subash Nemwang announced that Khadga Prasad Oli had received 338 votes from a total 597 members in the chamber.

The agitating parties have been demanding demarcation of electoral constituencies based on the population size and its revision every 10 years, instead of 20 years as envisioned in the constitution. The adoption of the new constitution triggered deadly protests and a stifling border blockade.

The current government is accused of stalling on rebuilding after the natural disaster killed almost 8,900 people and left more than 500,000 homeless.

Modern Nepal has always had a rapid turnover of prime ministers and it is hard to predict how long or short the latest incumbent’s tenure may be.

The fuel shortages have become so acute that traffic has been kept off the roads. Prashant Jha, the Hindustan Times’ correspondent for Nepal, however, notes that Oli has shown a few flexibility in addressing the grievances of the Terai constituencies and could yet work toward reconciliation. He’s, nevertheless, eligible to turn out to be prime minister again. But the Madheshi and Tharu communities have signaled little to no willingness to cooperate.

Scores of trucks, including fuel tankers, entered Nepal on Sunday and Monday from two borders points in southwestern Nepal, but the borders at south and southeast Nepal remained blocked.

But on Sunday evening, Modi dialled Oli before any other world leader, and acknowledged the new PM had been elected in “democratic and orderly elections”.

“So far it looks like Oli has the majority backing in the parliament, but it is hard to predict in politics”, said Ameet Dhakal, editor in chief of online news portal Sepopati.

After his release from prison, he married party worker Radhika Shakya and joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

The secondary school dropout won elections to parliament in 1991, 1999, 2008 and 2013.