UCPN (Maoist) commanding 237 votes in the 601-seat House and CPN-UML, which has 108 lawmakers, have jointly urged Speaker Subas Nembang to end the ongoing election process. Likewise, three Madhes-based parties have also decided to stay neutral in the voting on Sunday. [break]
Maoist leaders also said they would press Nembang to end the ongoing voting process, at the meeting of Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of parliament that will be held just ahead of the voting Sunday.
“As a majority of parliamentarians have already decided not to participate in the ongoing election process, we will request the Speaker to terminate it and start a new process. If he doesn´t act accordingly, we will walk out from the voting,” Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha told myrepublica.com.
Of the two candidates, only Ram Chandra Paudel of Nepali Congress (NC) is effectively in the race as UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has announced to withdraw his candidacy.
Speaker Nembang has said he can´t terminate the process as long as any one of the candidates remains in the field. He has urged the parties to reach a consensus in this regard.
- Maoists to push Speaker to terminate the process
- NC rules out candidacy withdrawal, end of process
- Three Madhesi parties to stay neutral
NC leaders have ruled out withdrawal of Paudel´s candidacy as long as there is no change in the current state of affairs. They have also turned down outright the proposal from Maoist and UML leaders to terminate the process by amending the parliamentary regulations.
"The parliamentary regulations doesn´t allow the Speaker to terminate the ongoing process. He can´t do it just on the ground that Maoist and UML leaders have so urged," NC Chief Whip Laxman Ghimire told myrepublica.com.
NC leaders have termed Dahal´s announcement just a political propaganda. "Had it been a sincere commitment, they [Maoists] would have officially written to the parliament secretariat for withdrawal of his candidacy. This is a deceptive move intended to pile pressure on NC," Ghimire claimed.
To officially withdraw Dahal´s candidacy, Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai, who had proposed the former´s candidacy in parliament, has to himself request the parliament secretariat in writing.
Tek Prasad Dhungana, legal advisor at the parliament secretariat, said candidacy can be withdrawn if the leader who proposed the candidacy writes to parliament an hour before the voting starts.
Shrestha said withdrawal of candidacy is not a big issue for the Maoists. "Forging a consensus and starting the new process is important. Candidacy can be withdrawn if it helps parties forge consensus," Shrestha said.
Dahal became ready to pull out of the race and UML in return agreed not to participate in the voting after the two parties signed a deal last week.
UML Spokesman Pradip Gyawali said the NC needn´t be too skeptical toward the Maoist commitment. "Since the Maoist and UML leader have clearly said that they will not form two-party alliance for the formation of a new government, NC leaders should rest assured," he said.
He urged the NC to take the Maoist decision positively. "The decision alone is not sufficient but Maoists have certainly come a step forward toward forging consensus," Gyawali said.
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