Madhesi lawmakers unlikely to cross floor

KATHMANDU, Aug 5: The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance of four Madhesi parties, is likely to continue remaining neutral in Friday´s voting for a prime minister, and Madhesi lawmakers are unlikely to cross the floor.

“As of now, we are neutral in tomorrow´s voting,” said Jitendra Sonal, joint general-secretary of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), one of the major parties in the alliance, on Thursday.

Ram Janam Chaudhary, chief whip of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D), said the Front will continue to remain neutral.

A meeting of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Nepal (MPRF) also informally decided not to vote for or against on Friday, according to Nandan Kumar Dutt, an MPRF lawmaker.

Madhesi leaders said the situation does not favor a vote for Maoist prime ministerial candidate Pushpa Kamal Dahal. They said they cannot even support Nepali Congress prime ministerial candidate Ram Chandra Poudel because their votes will not help him get elected.

UDMF, which combined has 82 members in parliament, had remained neutral in the previous rounds of voting.

If they remain neutral in the Friday vote, none of the prime ministerial candidates will manage to get 399 votes, a simple majority even in the fourth round because the CPN-UML is also going to remain neutral as in previous votings.

UDMF is taking a formal decision to continue to remain neutral after holding a meeting on Friday. The alliance is also meeting separately with UCPN-M and NC leaders.

NC on Friday sent yet another letter to UDMF, making its stance on the alliance demands clearer. UDMF is discussing the letter at its meeting on Friday.

MPRF rebels not to cross floor

The 11 MPRF lawmakers who crossed the floor to vote for Dahal, said they will not repeat the move in Friday´s voting.

“We had crossed the floor, hoping that Dahal would manage a simple majority. But he did not. So we are following our party´s whip,” said Dutt, one of the 11 who flouted the party whip during Monday´s vote.

MPRF whip Abhisekh Pratap Sah, who also breached the party´s directive during the last vote, said they will follow whatever decision his party and the alliance takes in regard to the voting on Friday.

The rebels agreed to remain discipled as they were criticized by senior leaders of the MPRF and other parties.

Though the MPRF has been able to tame its lawmakers, the MPRF-Democratic is gripped by fear that its members may not follow its decision in the voting on Friday. As a result, the party has kept some of its lawmakers under strict surveillance.

“We have monitored the movement of some of our friends,” Ram Janam Choudhary, chief whip of MPRF-D, told Republica Thursday.

Choudhary added that some of the lawmakers are in contact with Maoist leaders.

The party has received information that the Maoists have approached its leaders Karima Begum, Ram Nandan Mandal, Kousal Yadav and Pramod Gupta for their votes.

Begum, an assistance minister in the outgoing cabinet, was spotted meeting Maoist leader Pampha Bhusal at Hotel Sunset View, Baneshwor on Thursday. Bhusal had called Madhesi women lawmakers for a meeting.

“What is wrong with meeting [Maoist leaders]?” Begum said. “Do you think we are goats to be sold?”

Some Madhesi lawmaker also held a meeting with Maoist leaders at the same hotel. When media reached there, they managed to flee through the back door.

“We have not met any leaders,” said Yadav, “We have been accused of meeting Maoist leaders in a bid to defame us.”

Yadav, however, said there is need for floor-crossing to end the present deadlock over election of the prime minister.

“But I will follow the party whip on Friday,” said Yadav.

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=21909