Nepal Maoists brace for last fight before quitting power

Nepalese caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as 'Prachanda', arrives to address lawmakers in parliament in Kathmandu yesterday. Nepal is set to elect a new prime minister today after the Maoists allowed the resumption of parliament, ending weeks of political deadlock following the collapse of the Maoist administration. Photo: AFP

Nepal's former Maoist guerrilla party yesterday said they would run the race for a new prime minister, ending a three-week deadlock that had gripped the nation after the fall of their government and threatened to disrupt the birth of a new constitution.
Maoist Information and Communications Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara told the media after consultations among top party leaders Friday that his party would put up a candidate in the election to choose a successor to caretaker Maoist premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.