Left alliance expects 43 seats in NA

Kathmandu January 14

The task force formed by the left alliance has reached a tentative understanding that the CPN-UML will field 29 and the CPN Maoist Centre 14 candidates for the National Assembly election slated for February 7.

The task force meeting was held at UML parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar today to dwell on the issues related to common candidates for the National Assembly election.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday to finalise the number of candidates, according to Matrika Yadav, who represents the CPN-MC in the task force. According to him, the left alliance will decide its candidates in accordance with constitutional provisions and after consulting the Election Commission.

“We’ll finalise candidates for the National Assembly election before dwelling on issues related to the formation of provincial governments,” Yadav told THT.  He said the task force would consider the number of votes the CPN-MC and the CPN-UML got during local and provincial polls while deciding on the number of candidates each would field for the NA election.

Provincial assembly members and local unit chiefs and deputy chiefs comprise the electoral college for the National Assembly election. A total of 1,506 chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels and 550 provincial assembly members will elect NA members. Local level chiefs and deputy chiefs’ vote will carry weightage of 18, whereas vote of each member of provincial assemblies will carry weightage of 48. The electoral college will cast 53,508 votes.

Eight NA members will be elected from each province including three women, one Dalit and one minority or differently-abled person. According to the Election Commission, one Dalit and  one minority or differently-abled candidate will be elected on the basis of first-past-the-post electoral system from each province and three women and three other candidates will be elected on the basis of single transferable

voting system from each province.

The left alliance has majority in six provinces, except Province 2.

According to sources, the CPN-MC has sought two chief ministers and four speakers in provincial assemblies.

“Maoists have sought speakers in provinces where UML will have chief ministers. They are okay with UML candidates as speakers in provinces where CPN-MC has chief ministers,” a source told THT.