Communist party leader elected as Nepal's new prime minister

(23 May 2009) SHOTLIST 1. Exterior shot of parliament building 2. Incoming Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal sitting with party lawmakers inside parliament 3. Nepalese Congress party president Girija Prasad Koirala stepping up on podium 4. SOUNDBITE (Nepali) Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepalese Congress Party President: "I support and propose that Madhav Kumar Nepal be elected the prime minister." 5. Close shot of Nepal after being elected, UPSOUND (Nepali) Subash Nemwang, Parliament speaker: "I want to congratulate senior political leader Madhav Kumar Nepal for being elected the new prime minister." 7. Close up shot of Nepal, applause 8. Lawmakers congratulating Nepal after the announcement ++MUTE++ 9. Nepal surrounded by supporters and journalists after the announcement 10. SOUNDBITE (Nepali) Madhav Kumar Nepal, Incoming Nepalese Prime Minister: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++ "A big responsibility has landed on my shoulders. I will try fulfil my duties with the support of all parties and I believe I will be able to reach a consensus among all parties." 11. Convoy leaving STORYLINE Lawmakers elected a communist party leader as Nepal's new prime minister on Saturday in a move aimed at ending weeks of political turmoil. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) was elected unopposed, parliament speaker Subash Nemwang announced. Parliament members congratulated Nepal, and his supporters cheered and offered him flowers when he walked out of parliament. Nepal, 56, has the backing of 22 political parties and 350 members in the 601-seat parliament, more than the simple majority required to be elected. Nepal has been a prominent figure in Nepalese politics for more than a decade. He was a key figure in 2005 protests against the authoritarian rule of then-King Gyanendra and the weeks of street protests that led to the restoration of democracy a year later. The previous prime minister, former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, resigned on 4 May following a dispute with Nepal's president. Dahal's party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), had blocked parliamentary proceedings but ended its protest several days ago, allowing Saturday's election. Maoist lawmakers walked out of parliament on Saturday and did not participate in the process. Both Dahal's and Nepal's parties are communist but differ in policies and beliefs. The Maoists ended their decade-long armed struggle just three years ago and entered a peace process. They won general elections in 2008 but did not obtain a majority in parliament. Nepal's party has long been part of mainstream politics. Dahal resigned after President Ram Baran Yadav rejected his sacking of the country's army chief, who had resisted efforts to integrate former Maoist fighters into the military. Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/960bf6d4011d233…

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