Kathmandu, January 11:

Nine parties represented in the Constituent Assembly today began discussion on ways to appoint representatives in the local bodies — district development committees, municipalities and village development committees.

The bodies have remained rudderless and without elected officials since 2000 when they were dissolved.

Earlier efforts to form these bodies have failed as political parties maintain stiff differences over the representation issue.

The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist wants seats in proportion to what it won under the mixed electoral system — first-past-the-post and proportional electoral system — of the April 2008 CA polls. Of the 601 seats in the CA, the CPN-Maoist secured 220 seats, which is 38 per cent.

Dev Prasad Gurung, Minister for Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly Affairs, said the issue raised at today’s meeting was setting up an interim system for local bodies. CPN-Maoist is of the view that the appointment of the local bodies should be done in tune with the Interim Constitution that has provision to include active political parties.

CPN-UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum favour distribution proportionate to the seats the parties secured under the proportional representation system during the Assembly election. This logic is intended to keep CPN-Maoist ‘under-represented’ in the local bodies as the Maoists won 100 out of 335 seats at stake under the PR system.

Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, Nepal Sadbhavana Party and Rastriya Janamorcha, however, favour fresh election in these bodies.

The parties participating in the day’s discussion said all 25 parties represented in the CA would meet tomorrow to discuss and decide the formation of local bodies and the tricky representation modality.