Four Madesh parties to boycott elections (DEVELOPING STORY)

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 21 July: Hridesh Tripathi Wednesday announced in parliament four terai parties were boycotting elections for the prime minister.
Tripathi said he was making the announcement on behalf of his party—TMLP- and the four-party Terai Madesh Loktantrik Front.
He ridiculed the candidacy of the leaders of three parties for prime minister.
“By announcing their candidacy they are have demonstrated they against understanding and consensus,” he said.
Four parties have 81 seats in parliament.
Caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who proposed the name of his party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal for prime minister reiterated he resigned even as he enjoyed a majority in parliament.
Nepal said he resigned to pave the way for a government on national understanding to complete the peace process and draft a constitution insisting on a two-third major vote for the government chief not required by the constitution.
Nepal said his party was trying to establish ‘an example’ by resigning even amid a majority to make way for a national unity government.
Three-rime NC Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who proposed the candidacy of Ram Chandra Paudel as prime minister, said his party needed to head a government as Congress had led every change since 2007.
Maoist Vice-chairmen Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kazi Shrestha smiled as NC General Secretary said Paudel fought the rights of Dalits.
Khanal is not likely to get a two-third majority in the vote forcing a second round voting.
The process to elect Nepal’s successor started two hours late at four in the afternoon.
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