Kuwait Times

Nepalese Maoist prime minister Dahal resigns

- KATHMANDU:

Nepal’s Maoist prime minister resigned yesterday as part of a planned handover to a former political foe who will be the impoverish­ed nation’s tenth leader since the end of the civil war in 2006. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who led the decade-long Maoist insurgency before entering politics, is stepping aside after less than 10 months in office. He is expected to be succeeded by three-time former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who heads the largest party in the current coalition government. “I announce my resignatio­n from the post of prime minister today, right now, with a pledge to continue being active for the upliftment of the country and the people as a politician, parliament­arian and a citizen,” Dahal said in a televised speech in which he catalogued his government’s achievemen­ts. Dahal, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda, or “fierce one”, had promised to step down after holding local elections as part of the agreement that brought him to power last August. Local elections were held in three of the country’s seven provinces 10 days ago.

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