Nepal’s Maoist Prime Minister Resigns

[Coventina]

Source: New York Times

KATMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s prime minister resigned on Monday amid a power struggle over his firing of the army chief, saying he was stepping down to salvage democracy in the country and the peace process that brought the Himalayan nation out of a bloody decade-long civil war.

In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who goes by the name Prachanda, said that he was stepping down one day after Nepal’s president overruled his decision to fire the head of the army, Rookmangud Katawal.

“I announce, through this address, my resignation from the cabinet I have chaired so as to put an end to this difficult situation and create a positive environment for salvaging democracy, nationalism and the peace process that are currently at risk,” Prachanda, a former Maoist guerilla fighter, said in his 13-minute address.

Large clusters of people gathered in front of television shops in the capital, Katmandu, to watch the prime minister give his address, as many parts of the city didn’t have electricity due to an ongoing power crisis.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/world/asia/05nepal.html?ref=asia

[bemildred]

1. I wonder if this means elections or more political wrangling? nt

[paulk]

2. I think the next scheduled election is 2010

so it will likely be political wrangling. The Maoists could conceivably still form a coalition and appoint a new PM. The biggest fear (as pointed out in the article) is that the Maoists will abandon the democratic process and start up the civil war again.

Their real problem right now is that they got what they wanted (abolishment of the monarchy and control of the government) and have, so far, done a less than stellar job managing the country. There's no guarantee that they would do as well in the next elections as they did in the 2008 one.

[ButterflyBlood]

3. Probably a good thing.

Nepal has improved lately but having a doctrinaire Maoist as the head of government probably isn't the best permanent course of action.