Kathmandu, April 30:

A nine-member selection panel headed by acting general secretary Amrit Kumar Bohara would finalise the names of CPN-UML’s candidates to be sent to the CA under the PR system tomorrow. The UML has bagged 70 seats under the PR system.

According to the Election Commission’s instructions, all parties are required to submit their final list of candidates by Friday from among the names enlisted in the closed lists the parties had submitted to the EC before the Constituent Assembly election.

The Bohara-led panel includes Ishwor Pokharel, Bishnu Poudel, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Bhim Rawal, Yuvaraj Gyawali, Raghubir Mahaseth, Ashok Rai and Shanta Manavi. The panel will meet tomorrow to finalise the names.

The ongoing 18th central committee meeting, which kicked off on April 27, has been adjourned till Friday, as the Bohara-led panel needed more time to work on the list.

Today’s meeting saw seven central committee members, including Pradip Nepal and Mukunda Neupane, airing their views on Bohara’s political report presented at the meeting.

Party sources said the UML had been divided broadly into two schools of thought, one stressing the need for joining the Maoist-led post-election government, and the other extending support to the Maoists from outside the government and cooperating with the government only in the peace process and constitution-making process. “But it is still unclear which of the views will dominate the party. It would become clear only after all the central leaders air their views,” said UML leader Shankar Pokharel. Region-wise reports on election performance and organisational status were also submitted at today’s session of the meeting.