INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 27The CPN-Maoist Centre has decided to forge national consensus on the candidate for the new
NC supports expelled candidate for PA speaker
Election for HoR Speaker on January 19
CPN-MC
leader and party Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the Standing Committee meeting of the party held at the Central Office in
Paris Danda decided that the new president of the country would be elected through national consensus.
CPN-MC leader
DevendraPaudel told mediapersons after the meeting that his party discussed the possibility of electing the new president on the basis of
national consensus."Most of the leaders are in favour of a consensus candidate for the president," said Mahara
He also said that no decision had been taken yet."We are in favour of national consensus but at the same time we have to talk with other
parties of the ruling alliance regarding the matter," added Mahara.He said the presidential election will be held between March 10 and 12
He also informed that the meeting also discussed about party unity with Nepal Samajwadi Party and Biplava-led CPN
At the meeting, Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal submitted a report regarding the current political situation.Spokesperson for the party Mahara
said that the report highlighted the political developments after Nepali Congress gave vote of confidence to Prime Minister Dahal.CPN-MC
leader Devendra Paudel said his party was of the view that the new president should be elected with the consent of both the CPN-UML and the
Nepali Congress."If we can elect a person acceptable to all the parties, we can protect the constitution, and ensure that the hung
Parliament completes its five-year term," Paudel said
He also said the president should be a person who could uphold the spirit of the constitution and promote national unity.He cited the
example of Indian scientist APJ Abdul Kalam who was elected the president of India and was widely acceptable across the political spectrum,
Paudel said."The president's post should not be a bargaining tool for the parties," he added.The CPN-UML, however, is opposed to the idea of
electing the president on the basis of consensus.Recently, UML Chair Oli had said that his party would field a candidate for the post of
president and if all parties supported the UML candidate, that would reflect national consensus.A version of this article appears in the
print on January 28, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com