KATHMANDU, MARCH 15
The 10-party ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting today to forge consensus on the candidate for vice-president, but failed to reach conclusion.
Legally there are three candidates for vice-president from the ruling alliance - Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav from the Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal, Mamata Jha from the CK Raut-led Janamat Party, and Pramila Yadav from JSP-N though Pramila Yadav has decided to stand down.
JSP-N had fielded Pramila Yadav as a plan B candidate as arguments were raised initially that a female candidate should be fielded for vice president.
But since the constitution does not require a different gender for one of the two posts - president and vice-president - the EC invalidated claims filed against Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav.
CPN-UML's Asta Laxmi Shakya is the only candidate for vice-president from the opposition.
JSP-N Chair Upendra Yadav told THT that the ruling alliance had already agreed initially to give the post of president to the NC and the post of vice-president to JSP-N and the same agreement would prevail. "Only Janamat Party Chair CK Raut did not agree to back Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav though all other nine parties are in favour of supporting Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav. So, I am confident that ruling alliance lawmakers will vote for our candidate," he added.
Vice-president of Nepali Congress Purna Bahadur Khadka said their meeting was positive today and they were likely to reach consensus on the ruling alliance's candidate tomorrow.
CPN-MC leader Shakti Basnet also told mediapersons after the meeting that today's meeting was positive and they would discuss the vice-presidential election tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the PM will be seeking vote of confidence on March 20, According to JSP-N Chair Yadav.
Janamat Party Chair CK Raut told THT that his party would not withdraw from the vice-presidential election race even if the ruling alliance did not back his party candidate.
"The ruling alliance partners only tell us to withdraw from the race, but they do not negotiate issues with us. We give up everything but we do not get anything. We gave up our claim on chief minister of Madhes province, the post of speaker and deputy speaker, and now again they are telling us to quit the race for vice-president. Tomorrow, they may ask us not to field candidate in Bara-2. How long can we give up our claim?"
Raut wondered. He said he informed alliance partners his party would prefer to leave the alliance at both the province and federal levels rather than give up the claim on the post of vice-president.
The PM has not been able to expand his Cabinet due to delay in vote of confidence. The PM has to seek vote of confidence as the CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party withdrew support to the government after PM Dahal broke alliance with the UML and formed the new 10-party alliance.
The Rabi Lamichhane-led Rastriya Swatantra Party withdrew from government over the PM's refusal to assign the home portfolio to RSP, but the party continues to support the government.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 16, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
