KATHMANDU, Sept 23: UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML leaders on Thursday formally urged Speaker Subas Nembang to terminate the ongoing prime ministerial election at parliament and begin a new process.
Terming the ongoing election process meaningless, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal urged Nembang to terminate it on the ground that there is no meaning of repeating similar voting as majority members of parliament have already decided not to participate in the next round.
Signing a bilateral agreement, the Maoist party that commands 237 votes in the 601-seat parliament and the UML, which has 108 parliamentarians, have decided not to participate in the next round of voting. They are for starting the election process afresh.
"Today [Thursday] we have formally requested the speaker to terminate the ongoing voting for prime minister and begin a new process," Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha told reporters after meeting Nembang at the latter´s office in Singha Durbar. Following a three-point deal with the UML on September 17, Dahal announced that he was ready to withdraw his candidacy. However, he didn´t formally inform the parliament and the speaker about it until Thursday. After Dahal´s withdrawal, Ram Chandra Paudel of Nepali Congress (NC) is the only candidate remaining in the race.
"As the two parties commanding majority in parliament have already decided not to participate in the election, now the speaker has to take initiative to terminate the ongoing process," read separate letters with same text submitted to the speaker by the two parties. They have demanded that the issue be discussed at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of parliament and their proposal endorsed by the committee, which is represented by all political parties that have representation in parliament. The Maoist and UML leaders have argued that the speaker can end the ongoing process and start new one by making amendment to the parliamentary regulations.
In response, Nembang told the party leaders that he would take an appropriate step after consulting party leaders. "I don´t think the parliamentary regulations can be amended while one of the contenders has not pulled out of the race. However, the leaders can pave the way for an alternative if they forge a consensus on the matter," Nembang said.
Earlier on Thursday, top leaders of the two parties reached a four-point agreement. They decided to jointly request Nembang in writing to terminate the ongoing ´meaningless´ prime ministerial election.
The parties also decided to request the NC to withdraw from the race and be ready to elect new prime minister through consensus.
Similarly, the two parties have said they will work to expedite the integration and rehabilitation process for Maoist combatants and the constitution-writing process.
The eighth round of prime ministerial election is slated for September 26.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=23609
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