Nepal elects former prime minister to post again

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Nepal's parliament elected Maoist and former rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal as prime minister after Khadga Prasad Oli resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote.

Dahal, chairman of the Maoist Unified Communist Party of Nepal and commonly known as Prachanda -- which means fierce -- was the only candidate for the post to replace Oli, who resigned July 24. Dahal, 61, took 363 votes of the 573 cast in the 595-member parliament, the Nepalese Constituent Assembly.

Dahal, ahead of the vote, vowed to lead the country toward economic development. He will be the 39th prime minister of Nepal and the first communist to lead the country twice. He was prime minister for one year in 2008.

Oli resigned the post after nine months in office, accusing the Nepali Congress and Maoist political parties of plotting a conspiracy against his government. He said he was punished for the "good work" of improving relations between China and India.