Kathmandu, March 19:

Political parties are split over the issue of submitting a closed list of candidates for the proportional election system, to the Election Commission before the Constituent Assembly election, as provided by the Constituent Assembly Members Election Bill 2007.

While some parties want complete removal of the provision, others are demanding an increase in the percentage of closed list candidates than the proposed 10 per cent.

Clause 7 (2) of the Bill has proposed that each political party should submit a closed list of candidates for the proportional election, to the Election Commission, before the CA polls, and the number of such candidates should be at least 10 per cent of the total seats allotted for proportional election. Altogether 95 proposals, seeking amendment to the Bill, were registered in the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat, today, including those filed by the Nepali Congress, the CPN-Maoist, the CPN-UML, the Nepali Congress (Democratic), the Jana Morcha Nepal and the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party.

The NC and NC (D) do not want any change in the number of closed list candidates. The NC has sought amendment on the ballot paper for proportional election. Instead of displaying names of political parties and the candidates along with the election symbols in the ballot paper, as provided by the Bill, the NC has proposed display of election symbols only, as provided for first past the post election system.

The UML has demanded that the number of closed list candidates for the proportionate election should be fixed at 25 per cent at the least.

It has also sought inclusion of a provision which would require any political party to contest for at least 10 per cent of the total seats allotted for first past the post election system.

Most of the political parties including UML have opposed the idea of hiring retired government officials and teachers of the community schools as the election officers.

Jana Morcha Nepal MP Pari Thapa, opposed clause 67 of the Bill, which requires depositing Rs 20,000 to file candidacy for proportional election candidate and Rs 3000 for first past the post candidate. He has proposed deposit of Rs 1,000 for proportional representation candidacy and Rs 5,000 for first past the post system candidacy.