Nepal's new PM sworn in after Maoist walkout

A moderate leftist leader was sworn in as prime minister of Nepal on Monday, three weeks after the resignation of his Maoist predecessor over a dispute with the army. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal-UML took the oath of office from President Ram Baran Yadav in a ceremony at the president's office in capital Kathmandu. Nepal, a 56-year-old political veteran, was elected unopposed by lawmakers at the weekend following Maoist chief Prachanda's resignation. Prachanda, who led the Maoist rebels in a decade-long civil war until 2006, came to power in elections last year but quit after his bid to fire the army chief failed. "I will carry out my duty by remaining within the boundary of Nepalese law without any fear, discrimination and ill intentions," Nepal said as dignitaries and foreign diplomats looked on. Nepal won the backing of an alliance of 22 parties that holds 350 seats in the 601-member constituent assembly. The Maoists said they would boycott the new parliament and vowed to keep up street protests against the president, who blocked their attempt to sack the army chief. The political crisis has raised fears about the future of the 2006 peace agreement which ended the bloody civil war.