(6/8/99)

Nepal's prime minister loses identity card -- and right to vote

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- The rule is simple: no identity card, no vote --even for the prime minister.

Officials in a Katmandu voting station refused to let Nepali Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai vote Tuesday in a special parliamentary election rescheduled because of the death of a candidate, eyewitnesses said.

Bhattarai, who became prime minister after his Nepali Congress Party won a majority in the parliamentary election held on May 3 and 17, said he had lost his identity card. ``It's in my other pants.'' he noted.

Election officials discussed letting Bhattarai vote anyway, but dropped the idea after opposition parties protested. ``We can't be sure he's the real prime minister if he doesn't have his identity card,'' said Kharad Khamai, opposition party leader. ``We'd have a rash of people trying to impersonate the prime minister at football games and social events. We also object because Prime Minister Bhattarai is a big bed-wetting doody head.''