Halla Sansaar (हल्ला संसार)

राष्ट्रपतिले जनादेश लिनुपर्छ: एमाले :: UML may table new prez proposal

KATHMANDU, DEC 05 -

CPN- UML , the second largest party, is tabling a proposal to elect a new president in the party’s ongoing Standing Committee meeting.

Party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said on Wednesday that the party’s move follows the ‘delay’ on the part of the Nepali Congress (NC) to come up with a consensus proposal on power sharing. According to him, NC President Sushil Koirala had been asked to come up with such a proposal days ago.

“I had formally proposed Koirala to come up with a power sharing proposal,” Khanal told the Post. “So far, we have not received any formal word from him. We will float our proposal in the party’s meeting if the NC does not respond soon.”

The UML is of the view that the top posts, including that of the president, vice-president, prime minister, speaker and key posts in the constitutional committees, should be allotted to the parties in accordance with their strength demonstrated through the CA election results.

In the November 19 polls, the NC emerged the largest party by securing 196 seats, while the UML came a close second with 175 seats. UCPN (Maoist), the largest party in the 2008 polls, had to settle for the third position with 80 seats.

Asked if the UML will claim the new president’s position, Khanal said, “Voters have spoken in favour of total restructuring, and we will move accordingly.”

While the NC is reluctant to change the president at the moment, UML leaders argue that letting the incumbent President continue in the changed political context will be ‘undemocratic.’

NC lawmaker Ram Baran Yadav was elected President when he defeated Maoist candidate Ramraja Prasad Singh with support from the Congress and the UML on July 21, 2008.

The UCPN (Maoist) and the fourth largest party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, have supported the UML proposal of replacing President Yadav.

“Electing a new president is not merely a constitutional issue in the context of the new CA. It is an issue more political as well,” said UML Standing Committee member Yubaraj Gyawali.

Some moderate UML leaders like Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Madhav Kumar Nepal, however, are for allowing President Yadav to continue in office through the new CA.

They, however, say this is possible only if the NC is ready to divide the responsibilities in the government, parliament and the CA in accordance with their strength in the Assembly.

Insiders in the party say the UML is pushing for power sharing also to manage its own internal power dynamics. Prominent senior leaders of the party—Khanal, senior leader duo Nepal and KP Sharma Oli and Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam—have won the election and all of them are expected to vie for top positions in the new government.

Of late, Khanal, Nepal and Gautam are said to have made an alliance by singeling out Oli. The difference this time, from the last CA election, is that while the 2008 polls saw Khanal secure a win, making it easy for him to be elevated as the party chief and the parliamentary party leader, this time, Nepal and Oli have also made it to the CA.

Leaders said one internal power sharing deal could be sealed between Khanal and Nepal. While Nepal would help Khanal become the head of state, Khanal, in turn, would help Nepal become the party chairman in the upcoming party convention.

As for the parliamentary party leader, informed sources claimed there could be a competition between Oli and Gautam.

Tags: Politics