Prime ministerial race a tight affair

While political parties are all set to file their nominations in the prime ministerial race by Tuesday, officials at the Parliament Secretariat are in a fix over the date for the poll run-up if none of the candidates secures a majority in the election scheduled for Wednesday.

The contenders eyeing the country’s top post should secure 300 votes from the existing 599 lawmakers. As of Monday evening, according to leaders involved in talks, the picture was still “unclear” as to who will lead a new government.

Among the parties claiming the post, the Nepali Congress has nominated Ram Chandra Poudel as its candidate. The UCPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and Madhes-based parties are yet to name their candidates.

The Parliament Secretariat has fixed the nomination filing time between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday and it will publish the final list of candidates by 5:30 pm. The House is scheduled to start voting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

“If none of the candidates secures a simple majority, the House will fix a new date for the run-off election and continue vote until one of the nominees gets elected,” said Spokesman of the Parliament Secretariat Mukunda Sharma. The caretaker government led by Madhav Kumar Nepal will continue in office in such a case. Secretariat sources said there are complications to immediately hold the run-off poll due to the demand put forth by the NC. If the new prime minister is not elected on Wednesday, the party will ask Speaker Subas Nembang to conduct the run-off election after August 5.

“If the country doesn’t get a new prime minister on Wednesday, at least two weeks are needed to conduct the run-off poll,” said NC Chief Whip Laxman Prasad Ghimire.

In that case, the Business Advisory Committee of the parliament would fix the date for the second phase of election, he said.

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2010/07/19/top-story/prime-ministerial-race-a-tight-affair/210627/