Kathmandu, June 14:

A group of leftist intellectuals met Maoist chairman Prachanda at the latter’s residence in Naya Bazaar residence today.

During the meeting, they said that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala should not be made the first president of the country.

The intellectuals also urged Prachanda to forge a Leftist alliance on key national issues.

Senior Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa “Badal” and general secretary of the

CPN-Unity Centre-Masal Narayan Kaji Shrestha aka “Prakash” were also present at the meeting.

“The Leftist forces hold around 61 per cent seats in the Constituent Assembly, but you have not been able to forge an alliance on key national issues,” a Leftist intellectual said during the meeting with Prachanda.

The Leftist intellectual urged the Maoist chairman not to reach any understanding on electing Nepali Congress president GP Koirala the country’s first president, as he does not “reflect people’s wishes”.

“We have not changed our official stance. People’s mandate as expressed through the CA polls is against making Girija Prasad Koirala the first president,” one of the leftist participants quoted Prachanda as telling them.

Prachanda is also claimed to have reiterated the party’s stance that all Maoist ministers would quit the government if they failed to reach a political consensus by June 18.

General secretary of the CPN-Unity Centre-Masal Prakash said they had not reached any understanding to back Koirala for the president’s post.

“Our consensus candidate is Ramraja Prasad Singh,” Prakash said.

He added that they would support the CPN-UML’s bid for chairmanship of the Constituent Assembly.