Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's parliament on Sunday elected a leader of the former Maoist rebels as the new prime minister with a simple majority. 

Baburam Bhattarai, 57, vice-chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) will become the fourth prime minister since Nepal became a republic in 2008. 

After his election Bhattarai said he would attempt to complete the peace process and the long-delayed new constitution. 

Bhattarai received 340 votes in parliament, beating his rival Ram Chandra Poudel, 66, of the Nepali Congress, who received 235 votes. 

Bhattarai, who has a degree in architecture and a doctorate in regional planning, was able to get the crucial support of the regional Madhesi parties from southern Nepal. 

The 65 votes of the five parties of the Madhesi front were crucial for Bhattrai, whose party is the biggest in the 601-member parliament but lacks a majority. 

Media reports say the Madhesi parties have been promised 12 ministerial posts in exchange for their support. 

Bhattari is the second leader of the former rebels to become prime minister. 

The Maoists became the biggest party in the 2008 elections and their chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was prime minister for nine months. He resigned in a dispute with the president, who reinstated an army chief Dahal had fired. 

Earlier this month Jhalanath Khanal resigned as prime minister after he was unable to persuade the former Maoist rebels to demobilize and reintegrate their fighters in a deal that was agreeable to the other political parties. 

The Maoists fought a ten-year insurgency from 1996 to 2006 in which about 16,000 people were killed. 
Who will be the next prime minister of Nepal?
Does he have a doctorate?
In what?
Whose votes were important?
Are they the smallest party?
What group is Bhattarai a part of?
How many votes did he receive?
Who did he defeat?
How many votes did he receive?
Is he the first of his group to rule?
Who else?
For how long?
Who just quit the role?
Did Bhattarai's political group fight a war?
How long?
From when to when?
How many died?
What will the group who supported him receive?
When was the republic founded?
How many prime ministers will it have?
Baburam Bhattarai
Baburam Bhattarai
yes
a doctorate in regional planning
regional planning
regional planning
he five parties of the Madhesi front
he five parties of the Madhesi front 
no
the biggest
the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
340 votes
340 votes
Ram Chandra Poude
Ram Chandra Poude
235
 235 
no
the second leader of the former rebels
Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Pushpa Kamal Dahal
nine months
nine months
Jhalanath Khanal
Jhalanath Khanal
yes
he Maoists fought a ten-year insurgency 
ten-year
ten-year 
1996 to 2006
1996 to 2006
about 16,000
about 16,000
12 ministerial posts
12 ministerial posts
2008
2008
Four
fourth prime minister