Katmandu, November 23. According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, "Mohan Adhikari, septuagenarian president of Nepal's communist party, the United Marxist-Leninists (UML) was elected party leader Wednesday, paving the way for King Birendra to call on him to form the country's next government. The UML has emerged as the largest party in Parliament after winning 88 seats in the 205 member house but is has been unable to secure the 103 seats needed to form the government on its own. In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, the UML urged all political parties and political forces in the country to cooperate with a future UML government. The UML is to form a government with the support of the National Democratic Party or else with the backing of dissident members of the outgoing Nepal Congress Party which has won 82 seats. The parliamentary UML comprising 69 of the newly elected members and members of the upper house elected Adhikari as its leader at a meeting held in the Nepalese capital. With only one outsta

nding constituency result in Tuesday's polls still to be declared, the National Democratic Party has 20 seats, the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party four seats, the Pro-India Nepal Sadbhabana party three seats and independents seven seats. (EuroTibet News N·6)