ELECTIONS FOR NEPAL PM POST DEFERRED

KATHMANDU: Amid threats of disruption of proceedings by the main opposition CPN (UML), Nepal’s parliament on Sunday put off till Tuesday the scheduled election of a new Premier ahead of the second phase of countrywide local polls.

KATHMANDU: The parliamentary voting to elect veteran politician Sher Bahadur Deuba as the 40th prime minister of Nepal had to be postponed till Tuesday as the main political parties on Sunday failed to forge a consensus to conduct the House proceedings.

The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPM-UML) led by former prime minister KP Sharma Oli had threatened to obstruct the House proceedings against the repolling ordered in Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

The daughter of caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Renu Dahal, is contesting for the post of mayor from the constituency.

The counting of the votes was suspended after members of her party CPN (Maoist Centre) - allegedly tore up ballots during the process on the night of May 28. The Election Commission has ordered a repolling there.

The local polls in Nepal are being held for the first time in 20 years. The next and final phase of the local polls is set for June 14, when the restive southern Terai region home to the ethnic Madhesi population, will vote.