KATHMANDU, AUGUST 11

The task force created by the five-party ruling alliance today held its meeting and discussed modalities for seat sharing in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

According to CPN-Maoist Centre leader Dev Prasad Gurung, who represents his party in the task force, theoretical aspects of modalities were discussed in the meeting. 'We are close to agreement on the modalities,' Gurung said. The next meeting of the task force has been scheduled for Monday.

Another member of the task force said participating leaders discussed several models, including division of first-past the-post electoral districts on the basis of parties' vote share in the last parliamentary elections and the recently held local elections.

Another seat-sharing formula could be based on FPTP seats that coalition partners had won in the last general elections. Some participants even suggested that they could divide FPTP seats on the basis of the proportional representation votes the parties had secured in the last general elections.

Gurung said the seat-sharing formula for parliamentary and provincial elections would be the same.

The task force has till mid-August to arrive at a viable seat-sharing formula acceptable to all the partners.

Provincial and parliamentary polls are slated for November 20.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 12, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.