Madhav Kumar Nepal, a senior leader and Standing Committee Member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) was elected new prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on Saturday.

Madhav Kumar Nepal smiles after officially being nominated for Nepal’s Prime Minister at the Parliament House in Kathmandu, India May 23, 2009. He is elected new prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal the same day. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

M.K. Nepal, also the former General Secretary of CPN-UML, was announced second PM of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal by CA chairman Subash Nemwang after the parliamentary meeting.

CA chairman Nemwang declared Nepal unopposed as the prime minister, saying that he was doing so since no one else had filed their nomination for the post.

Though the timeframe for the nomination at the election committee of CA was set from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (0415-0730 GMT) on Saturday, no one except M.K. Nepal filed their nomination for the post.

Out of 24 parties represented at CA, M.K. Nepal was supported by some 21 parties except the largest party, UCPN-M and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified).

In the 601 seat parliament, he was backed by around 360 lawmakers excluding 238 lawmakers from UCPN-M and two from CPN-M. However, the fraction of UCPN-M had supported him.

UCPN-M, who led the previous coalition government had boycotted the election process as the signal of protest against Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav’s decision to reinstate Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal sacked by the government.

UCPN-M had termed President Yadav’s move to reinstate army chief Katwal as an unconstitutional move establishing “military supremacy” instead of “civilian supremacy.”

Since UCPN-M was obstructing regular session of House, the legislature parliament had elected a new Nepali PM almost three weeks after the former PM and chairman of UCPN-M Prachanda resigned form his post on May 4.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet