Nepal's parliament failed for the fifth time to elect a new prime minister on Monday, leading the president to warn citizens could lose faith in democracy after a three-month leadership vacuum. Nepal has been without a government since June, when former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal stood down under pressure from the opposition Maoist party to pave the way for a new power-sharing government.
Since then, political leaders have been unable to agree on the shape of the new administration, and four earlier votes to try to select a new prime minister also failed to produce a clear winner. A spokesman for Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav said he was "deeply troubled" by the crisis in the impoverished Himalayan country and had urged leaders to reach a consensus.
"The president is deeply troubled... he fears the public will begin to lose faith in democratic institutions and the democratic process," Rajendra Dahal told AFP. Dahal secured 246 votes on Monday, 55 short of a majority, while Poudel won 124. A sixth vote is expected to be scheduled for September.
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