KATHMANDU, AUG 03 – The third round of the prime ministerial election ended inconclusively on Sunday despite some lawmakers from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) crossing the floor and voting for UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The fourth round of voting has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Aug. 6.
Dahal garnered 259 votes, while his opponent Nepali Congress’ Ram Chandra Poudel got 124 votes in the polling. Of the 599 Members of Parliament, the winning candidate had to secure 300 votes to form a majority government.
Dahal got 17 votes more than in the second round after 11 lawmakers of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) defied the party’s decision to abstain from voting. MJF Chairman Upendra Yadav and Co-Chairman Jay Prakash Prasad Gupta did not vote for Dahal as per a decision made by the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM).
While Dahal was also voted by lawmakers of Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, Nepal Pariwar Dal, Rastriya Janamukti Party and Nepa Rastriya Party, Poudel was backed by Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party. The CPN-UML and other fringe parties voted for none of the candidates.
The voting session scheduled for 4 p.m. was delayed by four hours as the SLMM was indecisive until the last hour. Dahal made a last ditch effort to get the backing of the Madhes-based parties by sending his aides to hold talks in Singha Durbar.
While Dahal appeared upbeat after Sunday’s result, Poudel expressed dissatisfaction and accused the Maoists of “malpractice” in the polling. “The malpractice was visible in today’s election. The crossing of the floor is a clear indication of this,” said Poudel. “I have asked the UML chairman to take the incident seriously and review the party’s decision.”
UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, however, said the party would not vote for a majority government in the next election. Maoist leader Pun, however, claimed that the NC’s allegation was baseless as MJF had formally decided to vote for Dahal. “The increasing votes in our favour shows we will secure majority in the fourth round,” he said.
The House proceeding continued till late in the night due to a serious rift between the Maoists and the NC on the date of the fourth round of election. The Maoists proposed Friday, while the NC demanded the polls be held on Aug. 18 saying that party leaders would be busy in preparations for the upcoming party convention.
The fate of the two candidates now depends on the decision of the UML and the four Madhes-based parties. Dahal will get a majority if the Madhes parties vote for him in the fourth round, while Poudel will get a chance to lead a government if the UML and the Madhes parties vote for him.  

Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Attendance    581, Votes in favour 259; Votes against 114; Abstentions    208

Ram Chandra Poudel
Attendance    556, Votes in favour    124Votes against    246, Abstentions    186

Fringe parties abstain from voting, 11 MJF lawmakers cross floor, vote for Dahal
http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/03/top-story/new-pm-plan-a-hat-trick-flop/319708/

2.Fourth round of election on August 6
The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the legislature parliament has decided to hold the fourth round of election to the post of Prime Minister on August 6 after the third round of election held Monday also ended in a fiasco.
A meeting of the BAC held late night yesterday decided to hold the next round of election of the post of PM on Friday. Speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang has called the next meeting of the House at 3 pm, Friday for PM election.
BAC stipulated the date for next election after both the candidates vying for the post of PM got rejected by the parliament. Unified CPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress vice president Ram Chandra Paudel were in the fray for the PM post.
According to existing parliamentary regulations the election for the post of Prime Minister at the legislature parliament keeps on repeating until a PM is elected. http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/2-political/8051-fourth-round-of-election-on-august-6.html

3.NC to hold ‘decisive talks’ with UML
Nepali Congress has decided to hold decisive talks with the CPN (UML), which remained neutral in the three rounds of voting for the prime minister, in a bid to convince the latter to support Ram Chandra Poudel in the fourth found of prime ministerial voting slated for August 6.
A meeting of the NC office-bearers held at acting president Sushil Koirala Tuesday morning concluded that the country should not be kept in a deadlock for a long time and that the UM needs to declare its support in the prime ministerial election. At the meeting, most of the NC leaders said UML’s decision to stay neutral has only contributed to deepening the uncertainty.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, NC chief whip, Laxman Ghimire, said the party would talk to UML leaders to convince them to reconsider their decision to stay neutral, and help elect the Prime Minister.
The meeting also concluded that the floor-crossing of eleven lawmakers of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal in favour of Pushpa Kamal Dahal indicated that the Maoists were trying to win majority by hook or by crook.
The NC’s decision to re-start negotiations with UML comes a day after the third round of voting also failed to elect the prime minister.
Earlier, repeated attempts by NC leaders to convince the UML to support Poudel had failed. www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/1-top-story/8059-nc-to-hold-decisive-talks-with-uml.html

4.NC to search for alternatives after round 4 elections
KATHMANDU, AUG 03 – Nepali Congress on Tuesday said that the party will not be participating in the majority system after the fourth round of prime ministerial election scheduled for August 6.
The party has decided not to take part in the prime ministerial election again if the candidates fail to gain majority in the fourth round of election.
The meeting of NC office bearers held at party Acting President Sushil Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj decided to search for the alternatives claiming that a dirty game has been initiated in the process.
The NC has also decided to hold decisive talks with the UCPN (Maoist) and the CPN-UML for the same.
The NC made such decisions after the third round of the prime ministerial election ended inconclusively on Monday despite some lawmakers from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) crossing the floor and voting for Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The fate of the two candidates now depends on the decision of the UML and the four Madhes-based parties. Dahal will get a majority if the Madhes parties vote for him in the fourth round, while Poudel will get a chance to lead a government if the UML and the Madhes parties vote for him.   http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/03/top-story/nc-to-search-for-alternatives-after-round-4-elections/319745/

5.New Maoist faction emerges in Kailali
NEPALGUNJ, AUG 03 – UCPN (Maoist) leaders of Kailali have formed a New Leftist party after splitting from the mother party on Tuesday.
The leaders from area no. 10 and 11 in Kailali split from the party accusing it of indulging in the politics of power and deceiving the sacrifice of thousands of party cadres.
They have formed the new party, Nepal Janasramik Party, which will be para-underground in nature.
The new party has put forth demands that include integration of the Maoist combatants, withdrawal of inequitable treaties and agreements forged by political parties in the past, cutting back in the social security perks that are provided to feudal lords and capitalists, and concluding the peace process in the nation, Chairman Parek Bahadur Rawal informed.  
The party will be made public nationwide in the National Conference scheduled from November 6 to 11, Rawal added.
Dharma Raj Joshi and Dambar Bista have been appointed as the General Secretary and the Secretary of the party respectively. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/03/national/new-maoist-faction-emerges-in-kailali/319732/

6. Army wants more top rank teeth, Asks govt to add 2 more posts of Lt.Gen.
By PHANINDRA DAHAL, Kathmandu Post
KATHMANDU, AUG 02 – The Nepal Army has put forward an institutional restructuring proposal and has asked the government to “strengthen its top ranks” by creating two additional posts of Lieutenant Generals.
A delegation of senior army officials led by Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Chhatra Man Singh Gurung on Sunday presented the proposal to Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari and Defence Secretary Nabin Kumar Ghimire. Insiders in the Army maintain that endorsement of such a proposal could influence the appointment of Gen. Gurung’s successor. The Army chief is completing his three-year term on Sept. 9, 2012.
 “The creation of additional posts will put Maj, Gen. Gaurab Samsher Rana and Maj. Gen. Nepal Bhusan Chand in the race for the Army’s top post,” a senior Army official told the Post. Under the new arrangement, the post will go to Chand if Rana, after his promotion to the post of Lt. Gen., fails to get one year term extension, he said.
Under the existing provision, Rana, Director General of Military Operation (DGMO), will be elevated to Lt. Gen. in April next year after the retirement of Chief of General Staff Pawan Jung Thapa. Adjutant Gen. Chand will get promotion only a month after Chief of Staff Gen. Toran Jung Bahadur Singh retires.
If Rana stays put as Lt. Gen. for a year even after completing a two-year term, he will then be the Army chief and Chand will be his deputy.
“The meeting was just a briefing by the Army,” said a Defence Ministry official. “The government will have to discuss the issue with other stakeholders, including line ministries and agencies.”
During Sunday’s meeting, the senior Army officials argued that the restructuring of top ranks was necessary to transform the institution into international standard and create senior ranks parallel to the civil service.
Of the two additional Lt Gen posts, one can be adjusted from Raaj Prasad Sewa and another from “core group” that is not in existence yet, even though the plan to form it was made a decade ago. They suggested that the four Lt. Gens. should head four departments of the Army.
Maj. Gens. Anil Jung Thapa, Ram Bahadur Gurung, Daman Ghale and BA Kumar Sharma had attended the briefing. Citing the rank structure of Indian, British and Pakistani armies, the generals maintained that additional posts of major general and brigadier general should be created.http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/02/national/army-wants-more-top-rank-teeth/319644/