Nepal next prime ministerial runoff on August 2

Kathmandu, July 24 (ANI): The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Legislature- Parliament has decided to hold the third runoff election for the prime ministerial post on August 2.

The BAC took the decision after both the prime ministerial candidates - Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda and Nepali Congress vice president Ram Chandra Poudel failed to muster the simple majority in the re-poll held on Friday.

Prachanda secured 242 votes including 237 votes from his party. 114 votes were cast in opposition while 226 lawmakers went for 'no vote'. The five additional votes came from the Rastriya Janamukti Party, the Nepa Rastriya Party and the Nepali Janata Dal.

Similarly, out of the total 592 votes cast, Poudel bagged 124 votes, 114 from his party and 10 votes from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Rastriya Janashakti Party. Likewise, 228 votes were counted as 'no vote'.

The voting could not produce any results. The CPN (UML), four Madhesi parties and some fringe parties stayed neutral.

Meanwhile, the CPN (UML) leaders have said that they it will not participate in the elections if an environment for consensus are not created by then.

The party, which remained neutral in the first and second round of elections, has decided not to backtrack from its stance.

"We will remain neutral at the elections on August 2 also," Nepalnews quoted UML leader Gokarna Bista as saying.

"We will not change our stance until an environment for consensus is created," Bista added. (ANI)