NC, UML ‘optimistic’ over seats to CPN-M

KATHMANDU, NOV 04 -

The Nepali Congress and the CPN- UML have sounded cautiously optimistic over the proposal to offer seats to the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist to bring them on board the political process.

Insisting that the two parties were never for keeping the CPN-Maoist out of the political process, they said much will depend on the poll-opposing party to be part of the process. Leaders of the two parties, however, are sceptic over the intention of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who on Friday said that the break-away party could be offered 26 seats to be nominated by the Cabinet in the Constituent Assembly.  

Dahal’s proposal comes at a time when there has been increase in the attacks on candidates of different parties including that of the UCPN (Maoist).

“The proposal floated by Dahal may be a ploy to secure the votes of Baidya Maoist,” said CPN- UML Secretary Shanker Pokharel, but insisted that the UML is in favour of engaging with the CPN-Maoist. Pokharel also said that the number would not be a problem if the poll-opposing party intents to join the process.

According to Pokharel the Maoist party could be engaged in two ways: the nomination through the Cabinet or holding a forum parallel to the CA where constitutional issues could be debated and the CA could endorse them.

The NC also appears positive towards engaging with the CPN-Maoist, with Central Working Committee member Prakash Saran Mahat echoing the same line as that of the UML on the issue.

Meanwhile, a group of civil society leaders, including Daman Nath Dhungana, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, is in constant conversation with Baidya’s team. Before the deadline to register the parties at the Election Commission expired, the civil society leaders had held the first round of talks with the Baidya-led 33-party alliance.

Political observers, however, are less optimistic about the CPN-Maoist joining the political process through the Cabinet.

“Mohan Baidya is against the idea of Cabinet appointing them to the CA. They’d rather start negotiation after the

CA election,” said commentator Bishnu Sapkota, who has closely been following the negotiation with the CPN-Maoist.