Nepal's parliament failed today to elect a new prime minister amid a standoff between Maoist former rebels and other political parties that threatens a fragile peace process, Reuters reported. The Himalayan nation has been without an effective government for three weeks since Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned under pressure from the Maoists who are trying to return to power and oversee the drafting of the nation's first republican constitution. Maoist chief Prachanda, who was prime minister for eight months until May 2009, polled 242 votes while Ram Chandra Paudel of the centrist Nepali Congress got 124, both failing to meet the half-way mark in the 599 member parliament. A third contestant backed out minutes before the voting. "Since no one has secured the majority I have called a parliament sitting on Friday to choose from among the two," parliament speaker Subas Nemwang said. -- SPA
