Nepal's top political parties begin search for country's first president

The Associated Press ,  Kathmandu   |  Tue, 07/15/2008 2:15 PM  |  World

Nepal's top political parties remained at odds Tuesday over who to name the Himalayan nation's first president since it was turned into a republic, party officials said.

Nepal's newly elected Constituent Assembly abolished the centuries-old monarchy in May and declared the nation a republic, but has been unable to form a new government as the political parties bicker over how to form a ruling coalition.

The appointment of a president is a key step in forming the new government since he or she will have to swear in the new prime minister.

Leaders of the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) were negotiating with each other Tuesday over who to name president but were still unable to reach an agreement, officials said.

The Nepali Congress wants its leader -- outgoing prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala -- named president, while the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) wants its leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to be appointed to the position.

The Maoists, however, do not want either of the two men and insist the president should be a nonpolitical figure. The Maoists, the former communist rebels, emerged with the most number of seats in the April election.

Nepali Congress spokesman Arjun Narsingh said the talks would continue and he expected an agreement to be reached soon. Iswor Pokhrel of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist- Leninist) also said the talks would continue.

The Maoists, with the most seats in the assembly, are set to lead the new government. But they must form a coalition government since they failed to win a simple majority in the assembly, which is tasked with rewriting the constitution and governing the nation. (****)

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