Kathmandu - Nepal's special assembly Monday decided to elect the country's first president later this week, spurring consultations among the political parties to find common candidate. 

The constituent assembly decision came after months of political uncertainty brought on by the inability of the main parties to agree on a common candidate. 

"The first president of Nepal would be elected on 19 July by the assembly," Mukund Sharma, spokesperson of parliament secretariat said. "The decision was taken to end nearly three months of political crisis brought on by squabbling political parties over the right candidate." 

Earlier this week, the assembly amended the constitution to make provisions for a president and vice president. Under the new rule, both need a majority vote in the assembly to be installed to the posts. 

The amendment also paved the way for the Maoists, who emerged as the single biggest party in the assembly, but without a majority to lead the next government. 

Maoist leader Prachanda, who led the decade-long communist insurgency, is expected to become the prime minister. 

Political parties stepped up their consultations ahead of the vote to find a common candidate. 

Earlier Monday, talks between the Maoists and the moderate Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) broke down after the Maoists blocked a move by CPN-UML to assume the presidency. 

"The Maoists have rejected our suggestions that the party's former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal be made the first president," Bharat Mohan Adhikari said. "We will however keep up the dialogue to find common ground with the Maoists and other parties." 

The Maoists have also rejected the incumbent Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for the post, saying it preferred a non-political personality. 

Several rounds of talks between the three biggest parties - Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Maoists have failed to make headway over the issue. 

The post of president was created after the country's special assembly voted overwhelmingly to abolish monarchy on 28 May. 

Nepal's last king, Gyanendra, left the palace two weeks later and now resides in a government-provided retreat on the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu. 

The constituent assembly was elected in April as part of Nepal's moves towards peace following the end of a decade long insurgency which killed nearly 14,000 people. (dpa)