Country gets president but deadlock likely to lead

Though the Constituent Assembly Monday voted for the first president of the republic Nepal, its rejection of a candidate backed by the largest Maoist party was likely to lead to more political deadlock in the country.

Dr Ram Baran Yadav, a general secretary of the centrist Nepali Congress party, in support of CPN-UML, Madhesi Jandhikar Forum and other fringe parties, won 308 out of 590 votes cast in a run-off between him and Maoist-backed rival Ramraja Prasad Singh.

The selection of a president has been seen as a vital step to ending weeks of political impasse after the assembly ousted king Gyanendra and abolished the 240-year-old monarchy in May. But, the result showed other parties in the assembly ganging up against the Maoists, which do not indicate good sign.

The presidency is a largely ceremonial position, but Dr Yadav's victory could delay efforts by the Maoists to form Nepal's first republican government.

Even if the Maoists succeed in forming an administration, they may find themselves with little chance of implementing key platform pledges like land reform and will face constant risk of being toppled by rivals.

Maoist leaders were saying that their party, which ended a decade of civil war to enter mainstream politics, was now considering its next move following the political blow. They were yet to take decision on how the party was going to go ahead.

If we consider the views of Maoists leaders after the presidential result, most probably the party would not join the government.

Political analysts say having a president that was not backed by the Maoists would bring new "problems and challenges" of power-sharing.

According to them if the Maoists refused to form a government, there would be no political stability in the country, and that writing a new constitution -- the main task of the assembly -- would be "extremely difficult.