Kathmandu January 17

The task force formed by the left alliance has decided to field 43 candidates for the National Assembly Election slated for February 7.

An electoral college of members of provincial assemblies and chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels will elect 56 members to the Upper House and the president will nominate three members on the recommendation of the government.

Seat sharing

Provinces

Parties

seats

1

UML

5

CPN-MC

1

2

UML

1

CPN-MC

2

3

UML

6

CPN-MC

2

4

UML

4

CPN-MC

2

5

UML

4

CPN-MC

2

6

UML

5

CPN-MC

3

7

UML

4

CPN-MC

2

The task force has decided that the CPN-UML will field 29 candidates and the CPN-Maoist Centre will field 14.

The task force meeting was held at UML Parliamentary Party Office in Singha Durbar today. It discussed issues related to common candidates for the National Assembly election.

“We have decided to field our candidates in a way that will fulfil the constitutional criteria” said Surendra Pandey a task force member from the UML.

According to the task force, in Province 1, UML will have five candidates and MC will have one candidate. Similarly UML will field one candidate and MC two candidates in Province 2. UML will field six candidates and MC will field two candidates in Province 3. In this province, the left alliance decided to field all eight candidates as the left alliance has absolute majority.

In the Province 4 and 5, UML will have four candidates in each province and MC will filed two candidates in each of the two provinces. UML will have five candidates and MC will have three candidates in Province 6. UML will have four candidates in Province 7 and MC will have two candidates.

UML candidates will contest for 11 women’s seats, 10 open seats, five Dalit seats and three minority communities or differently-abled persons seats.  Meanwhile MC candidates will contest in four seats under the cluster of women, five under the open category and four under minority communities or differently-abled persons cluster. “We will negotiate with other political parties for the remaining 13 seats, including the Nepali Congress and independents” Matriya Yadav a task force member from the Maoist Centre told THT, “We will negotiate with Madhes-centric political parties in Province 2.”

According to Yadav, the task force will submit report to the party unity coordination committee and the committee will decide on it.  A total of 1,506 chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels and 550 provincial assembly members will be in the Electoral College that will elect NA members. Chiefs and deputy chiefs’ vote will carry the weightage of 18 whereas the members of the provincial assemblies will carry weightage of 48. The Electoral College will cast 53,508 votes.

Eight 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 won majority in six provinces except Province 2.

CPN-MC has put forth a proposal to the UML for allocating the post of two chief ministers and four speakers, said Yadav. If there is consensus on the MC proposal, UML will have four chief minister and two speakers. There are seven provinces.