Nepalese Lawmakers Choose New Prime Minister

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Lawmakers elected a communist party leader as Nepal's new prime minister on Saturday in a move aimed at ending weeks of political turmoil.
Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) was elected unopposed, parliament speaker Subash Nemwang announced.
Mr. Nepal, 56, has the backing of 22 political parties and 350 members in the 601-seat parliament, more than the simple majority required to be elected.
Mr. Nepal has been a prominent figure in Nepalese politics for more than a decade. He was a key figure in 2005 protests against the authoritarian rule of then-King Gyanendra and the weeks of street protests that led to the restoration of democracy a year later.
The previous prime minister, former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, resigned May 4 following a dispute with Nepal's president.
Mr. Dahal's party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), had blocked parliamentary proceedings but ended its protest several days ago, allowing Saturday's election. Maoist lawmakers walked out of parliament on Saturday and did not participate in the process. Mr. Dahal's and Mr. Nepal's parties are both communist but differ in policies and beliefs.
The Maoists ended their decade-long armed struggle just three years ago and entered a peace process। They won general elections in 2008 but did not obtain a majority in parliament. Mr. Nepal's party has long been part of mainstream politics.
Copyright © 2009 Associated Press