Kathmandu, December 28

The CPN UML today finalised its PR candidates for provincial assemblies, picking 71 women candidates for the total 75 provincial PR seats.

The party’s Standing Committee meeting held at the residence of party Chair KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Balkot decided to send the final list of candidates to the  Election Commission tomorrow.

“We had no option other than choosing female candidates,” UML Standing Committee member Subas Chandra Nembang  told The Himalayan Times. The party has won 15 PR seats in Province 1. There are a total of 220 seats in the provincial assembly in the seven provinces.

Likewise, the party picked five female candidates for the seven seats it won in Province -2.

In Province 3, the party picked female candidates in all 16 seats it won in Province 3.

Likewise, the party picked two male and eight female candidates for provincial PR seats in Province 4. Similarly, the party has nominated 14 female candidates for all provincial PR seats it won in Provinces  5, 6 and 7.

“We chose female candidates to ensure 33 per cent female representation in the provincial assemblies,” said party’s central office Secretary Krishna Gopal Shrestha.

At the meeting, Chairman Oli also briefed standing committee members about his meeting with CPN-Maoist Centre’s Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “Oli said Dahal was firm on his commitment to party unity,” said Nembang.