KATHMANDU: The Constituent Assembly (CA) Committee on Forms of Governance will conduct election tomorrow since the parties failed to reach a consensus on the issues.

All the major parties - the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) - have come up with conflicting views on the political and electoral procedures. They have failed to iron out their differences on whether the country should go for presidential or parliamentary form of government.

UCPN-Maoist: The Maoists have proposed for a presidential system. The President, to be directly elected by the people, should form an inclusive Cabinet, accommodating all parties on the basis of their proportional representation in legislative-parliament. The President can be removed either through an impeachment motion or a call back process. The elected head of state should allocate ministerial portfolios. There is no room for the Prime Minister.

Nepali Congress: The NC is for a parliamentary system. The Prime Minister should be elected through a majority vote in the Lower House of federal parliament. The President should be elected by the lawmakers in federal parliament. The Cabinet members can be from the lawmakers or outside. The PM should be entrusted with the responsibility to allocate ministerial portfolios. The PM can be removed through a no-confidence motion. Federal parliament can be dissolved prior to its tenure under specified circumstances.

CPN-UML: The UML advocates the post of a ceremonial president. The executive PM will be elected directly by the people. The Cabinet members should not be lawmakers. The PM shall allocate ministerial berths. Parliament can remove the PM only through an impeachment motion.

TMDP: The TMDP favours an all-powerful executive president, who should be elected by federal parliament. The Council of Ministers should be from the members of parliament. The President shall allocate ministerial portfolios. Parliament can remove president either through a vote of no-confidence motion or an impeachment. No-confidence motion can be tabled in parliament against a minister as well.

The parties could not reach an understanding on the election system as well.

The Maoists have proposed the Multi-member Direct Proportional Election System, which refers to the election of more than one member from a single constituency. All the parties are required to field their candidates on proportional and inclusive basis as determined by the law. There will be multiple seats in a given constituency. Population will be the basis of determining the constituency.

The NC has proposed a parallel election system. Fifty percent members of the Lower House will be elected under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) and the rest under the proportional system.

The UML is in favour of Mixed-Member Proportional Election System for federal parliament. Fifty per cent members will be elected through the FPTP and the rest under the compensatory proportional basis, which means the votes obtained by a defeated candidate under FPTP can be added to other candidate of the same party.

The TMDP maintains the Lower House of parliament should be elected through FPTP. While members of the Upper House will be elected through the votes the parties have obtained from across the country, which will be converted into a single constituency.

The parties have, however, agreed to elect the province's chief minister on the basis consensus or majority.