Nepal Elects a Marxist

Communism is spreading, and the Nepalese are thrilled. Nepal has elected Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the nation’s Marxist-Leninist communist party, as the new prime minister. Madhav had the support of 22 political parties and more than half of parliament. He has been a well-known political figure in the country for more than a decade, and was met with cheers and flowers when he walked out of parliament. But he didn’t have his predecessor’s support: the former prime minister was the Maoist rebel chief, and his party members boycotted Madhav’s election by walking out of Parliament during the process.