Nepal search for country’s first President

NEPAL: Nepal’s top political parties remained at odds Tuesday over who to name the Himalayan nation’s first president since it was turned into a republic, party officials said.

Nepal’s newly elected Constituent Assembly abolished the centuries-old monarchy in May and declared the nation a republic, but has been unable to form a new government as the political parties bicker over how to form a ruling coalition.

The appointment of a president is a key step in forming the new government since he or she will have to swear in the new prime minister.

Leaders of the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) were negotiating with each other Tuesday over who to name president but were still unable to reach an agreement, officials said.

Katmandu, Tuesday, AP