UN chief threatens to end role of UNMIN in Nepal peace mission

Ban´s warning over the future of UNMIN appears in his latest report to the UN Security Council, which is considering its extension beyond September 15.

Ban said UN would consider withdrawal if Nepal did not quickly form a government and hold talks on the UN mission.

"I will propose alternative measures to the (Security) Council, including the possible termination of UNMIN's mandate," Ban said in a report to the Security Council.

"I call on the parties to invest greater effort in serious and sustained political dialogue," he was quoted as saying in the media.

The tenure of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is set to end on September 15 even as the country has been in political limbo since the June 30 resignation of Nepal, who is currently heading a caretaker government.

For the seventh time in a row, Nepalese lawmaker failed to elect a new prime minister.

Maoist supremo Prachanda failed to become Nepal's new Prime Minister, as a breakaway group of Madheshi MPs, whose support he was banking on, opted to stay away from voting in Parliament at the last moment.

110 lawmakers voted against him, while 159 stayed neutral. His rival Ramchandra Poudyal of the Nepali Congress fared no better barely managing to hold on to his party's vote bank of 119.

Lawmakers will again meet on September 26 for the next round of poll. "Should these discussions offer neither clarity over the role of the Mission nor any prospect of consensus among the parties to the CPA and AMMAA (Agreement on Management and Monitoring of Arms and Armies) regarding a realistic and time-bound fulfilment of their commitments concerning the armies and the phasing out of UNMIN monitoring, then I will propose alternative measures to the Council, including the possible termination of UNMIN´s mandate," Ban said in the report circulated to UN Security Council members only.

The world body established the UNMIN as a special political mission in 2007 with a mandate to manage the arms and armed personnel of the Maoists and the Nepal Army.

Its term has so far been renewed six times and expires on September 15.

Most of Nepal's ruling parties are in favour of extending the term of UNMIN, but with a changed mandate so as to ensure that the army is kept out of its monitoring.