Dahal, Khanal PM candidates

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Feb 2: A day before the prime ministerial election, the UCPN (Maoist) has decided to field Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the party´s candidate for the post. A meeting of the standing committee of the party on Monday took a decision to this effect.

“We decided to field the chairman in the election,” said Maoist leader Barsaman Pun, adding that his party would step up talks with other parties to garner support to Dahal´s candidacy.

At the meeting, Dahal had proposed his own candidacy as there is now a real chance of the party winning the election.


Bhattarai faction has claimed that the party chairman, as per Tuesday´s decision, would not be allowed to withdraw his candidacy midway through the three rounds of election, and back any other party candidate.

“If the chairman does so, it would be a matter of shame to the largest political party,” said Maoist standing committee member Top Bahadur Rayamajhi.
Bhattarai faction has claimed that Dahal decided to be the candidate not to win the election but to back UML candidate Jhalanath Khanal as the prime minister, effectively preventing Bhattarai from becoming the prime minister. Lawmakers from the faction had held an informal meeting at Bhattarai´s residence in Sanepa in the morning to give a message to Dahal that they may refrain from voting another party´s candidate even if the party decides so. They claimed that if Dahal withdraws his candidacy to back any other candidate, they would register a note of dissent

But leaders close to Dahal and Baidya claimed that it would be natural for the party to support any other candidate close to the party´s agendas if the party doesn´t see the possibility of the chairman winning the race.

“We should not rule out the possibility of the party backing another candidate. The country must get a prime minister under the current process,” said Maoist leader Shakti Basnet.

Leaders from the hard-line camp led by Baidya also claimed that the party would support another candidate if the chairman loses the possibility of winning the election.

“If we fail, we will support the candidate who supports our agendas,” said leader Kul Prasad KC who is close to Baidya.
Party leader Devendra Poudel said the party would decide later what it would do in case the party loses the possibility of winning the election.

Oli proposes, Nepal seconds

The central committee (CC) meeting of CPN-UML on Tuesday once again nominated party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal as the prime ministerial candidate for the election to be held on Thursday.

“The CC meeting today unanimously nominated the party chairman as the candidate for the prime ministerial post,” UML Spokesperson Pradip Gyawali told reporters at the party´s head office in Balkhu after the meeting.

Party´s standing committee member KP Sharma Oli had tabled the proposal and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal seconded it.

As a coordinator of the talks team formed by the party, Oli, who spoke immediately after the party chairman updated leaders about the political scenario, briefed the meeting about the recent talks. “Oli without wasting any time tabled the proposal to nominate party Chairman Khanal as the prime ministerial candidate,” said a member present at the meeting.

But Prime Minister Nepal indicated that the party could also try to convince the Maoists to accept the UML´s condition and lead the new government. “Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is positive toward our proposal but has failed so far to convince the hardliners in the party,” Nepal shared with the CC members.

The prime minister held a meeting with Maoist Chairman Dahal at Singha Durbar immediately after the UML´s CC meet.

When asked why Oli chose to propose Khanal´s candidacy even without holding any discussion at the meeting, a leader close to Oli said he didn´t want to give an impression that the Nepal-Oli faction was against endorsing Khanal´s candidacy due to fear that he might be elected with support from the Maoists.

The Nepal-Oli camp doesn´t believe that the Maoists would vote for Khanal. “So, why should we make an unnecessary hue and cry over the issue,” said the leader.

But leaders close to Khanal are confident that the chances of the chairman being elected are high.

The UML had earlier fielded him as the party´s candidate for the prime ministerial post but with the condition that the UML lawmakers would vote him only if he could produce support from two-thirds lawmakers in the 601-seat parliament in writing.

Prime Minister Nepal withdrew Khanal´s candidacy after he couldn´t show the support of 401 lawmakers as decided by the party.