Deuba seeks PM candidacy

KATHMANDU, Aug 10: With the prospects of the prime minister´s resignation growing, the Nepali Congress has begun discussions on the party´s prime ministerial candidate to stake a claim for leadership of the next government.



Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday proposed before an informal meeting of the party´s top leaders that they could choose him as prime ministerial candidate while retaining Ram Chandra Paudel as parliamentary party leader, according to leaders participating in the meeting. [break]



Talking to Republica, Paudel confirmed that Deuba asked party President Sushil Koirala and others to support his proposal.



“I told Deuba he has already been prime minister thrice and should not claim the post again. I told the meeting that I, as parliamentary party leader, am already caught up in the PM race and my bid should bear fruit before I make way for others,” Paudel said.



Paudel was NC prime ministerial candidate during the last election that dragged on for six months until the 17th round vote elected Jhalanath Khanal.



The NC on Sunday opened fresh debate, sensing that Khanal is likely to step down by August 13 and the party should be prepared to float its candidate, said leader Bimalendra Nidhi. In addition, both Paudel and Deuba claim the top post.



Deuba has argued that Paudel should clear the way for him as he could not win even in the seventeenth round of vote the last time.



As Paudel and Deuba staked their claims for PM candidate, Koirala told them to seek consensus.



Leaders in the Deuba camp said Deuba floated the proposal to “avoid bitterness” that any no-confidence motion to remove Paudel as parliamentary party leader will invite in the party. And, any effort to remove Paudel, who defeated Deuba in the vote for parliamentary party leader in 2008, would widen the gap between the establishment faction led by Koirala and Paudel, said leaders from both factions.



“We want the issue of prime ministerial candidate to be resolved through consensus and do not want to go for an election for parliamentary party leader,” said a senior leader in the Deuba camp. “Paudel has sought two days to arrive at a conclusion.”



But Paudel said he did not make any commitment.



As the meeting continued for three hours, the scheduled meeting of the central committee called to discuss the party´s stance on state restructuring was postponed till Thursday.

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