Nepal's ruling alliance in trouble as 8 parties endorse new president

Kathmandu: Ram Chandra Paudel is set to become Nepal's next president after he was backed by eight political parties on Saturday, but the development may bring down the fragile two-month-old government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', which could plunge the Himalayan nation once again into political turmoil.

Principal opposition party Nepali Congress' senior leader Paudel was endorsed by eight political parties, including the CPN-Maoist Centre of Prime Minister Prachanda, who sidelined his coalition partner KP Sharma Oli's nominee to support his candidacy. Paudel will vie against CPN-UML's Subas Nem bang in the March 9 presidential election, which may change the power equation in the country. Paudel, 78, and Nem- bang, 69, filed their candidacies on Saturday.

Poudel's candidacy was proposed by Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist Centre's senior vicechair Narayan Kaji Shrestha, federal council chairman of Janata Samajwadi Party Ashok Rai and Abdul Khan of Janam at Party. With the support from eight political parties, Poudyal's victory in the presidential election is almost certain.

The tenure of the current president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, will end on March 12. The presidential election has put a serious question mark on the future of the seven-party ruling alliance. Parliamentary elections were held in November last year, but no party won a majority, leading to the formation of a coalition government headed by Prachanda. Nepal has seen political turmoil for years now as no party has succeeded in providing a stable government.

Prachanda, the 68-year-old CPN-Maoist Centre leader was sworn in as the PM for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader Oli.