Maoists decide to help Khanal show two-thirds in PM election

KESHAV P. KOIRALA

KATHMANDU: The UCPN-Maoist on Tuesday morning decided to support CPN-UML candidate in the prime minister's election.

The meeting of the Maoist office bearers held at the party headquarters in Peris Danda decided to help CPN-UML chairman Khanal help garner the two-thirds majority in the House in its bid to form a new government.

With the decision, it is likely that Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal will withdraw his nomination from the prime minister's election scheduled for today.

However, the Maoists have decided to uphold Dahal as the prime minister's candidate if Khanal failed to show support of 401 lawmakers in the 601-member Constituent Assembly which also functions as the country's Legislature-Parliament.

Talking briefly to the media at Peris Danda, Maoist vice chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the Maoists have not withdrawn Dahal's nomination yet.

Another vice chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said that the Maoist decision aimed at restoring the UML's bid to forge consensus. He accused the Nepali Congress of spoiling the consensus-based politics and taking to a majority-oriented system.

The Maoists have handed over a letter extending their support to the CPN-UML representative. UML Yogesh Bhattarai received the letter and presented it before the UML Parliamentary Office.

"Maoist have decided to support the UML candidate. Now, we will talk to other parties for further support," he said.

Now, the UML is holdkng talks with the Madhes-based and other fringe parties to ask for their support.

With the Nepali Congress firm to vie in the election but the Maoist words for support, the role of the fringe parties is considered to Khanal's dreams to become the country's 34th prime minister of the country.

The UML has said that it will withdraw Khanal's nomination if two-thirds majority could not be ascertained before election, and stay away from the voting.

Three big shots of the major three parties--UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress vice president Ram Chandra Paudel and CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal—had filed their nomination for the prime minister’s election.