Deuba is new Nepal PM

KATHMANDU, JULY 22. Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba, who once led a shaky coalition government, was today elected Nepal's Prime Minister by a majority of lawmakers from the ruling Nepali Congress.

Mr. Deuba received 72 votes in the party's leadership election to head the ninth Government since democracy came to being in this Himalayan nation 11 years ago. ``I will be talking to the Opposition parties first to decide on a common approach to deal with the Maoist problem. Very soon we will have a dialogue with the Maoist rebels,'' he told reporters after being declared the winner.

Mr. Deuba defeated his only opponent, Mr. Sushil Koirala, nephew of Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala, who resigned as Prime Minister on Thursday after leading Nepal for most of the last 11 years since the country's absolute monarchy ended in a popular revolt. Mr. Basu Risal, an election official, said Mr. Sushil Koirala polled 40 votes while one was declared invalid.

This would be Mr. Deuba's second term as Prime Minister after leading a shaky coalition Government for 18 months between 1995 and 1997 before being ousted in a vote of no confidence in Parliament when two of his own lawmakers failed to show up during voting over differences with him.

Known as a flexible leader who is accommodating towards the Opposition, Mr. Deuba, during his tenure, managed to cling to power by putting together an unwieldy coalition.

In a party vote for the same office last April, Mr. Deuba lost to Mr. G.P. Koirala. The latter replaced Mr. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who was forced out of office for failing to maintain law and order and control corruption.

Mr. Koirala's latest tenure as Prime Minister ended after 15 months when he was blamed for embarrassing setbacks for security forces at the hands of Maoist insurgents and for failing to provide protection for Nepal's royal family.

King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and many family members were shot dead by Crown Prince Dipendra in Kathmandu's Narayanhiti Palace on June 1. The Prince then turned the gun on himself, according to witnesses and an official inquiry which many Nepalese refuse to accept.

Mr. Koirala's term was also beset by a bribery scandal involving the national airline's lease of a plane and increasing attacks by Maoist guerrillas. The June 1 massacre was a crushing blow to his Government's credibility.

The Opposition had demanded Mr. Koirala's resignation over a bribery scandal, in which he was not charged but cautioned, since the start of the year. Calls for him to step down mounted after June 1 killings.

- AP

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