UCPN (M) top guns lock horns over PR list

• Bhattarai, Shrestha boycott meeting
• 27 women, 27 men, all new faces

KATHMANDU, DEC 30 - The UCPN (Maoist) , which emerged as third largest party in the second Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, on Monday submitted its list of candidates under Proportional Representation (PR) system.

However, the party leadership remained sharply divided over the list after Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal prepared the list of party lawmakers in a unilateral manner.

Following differences over selection of PR candidates, party senior leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha boycotted the meeting and walked out of the venue. Following which, the remaining two leaders of headquarters—Chairman Dahal and Posta Bahadur Bogati—picked the names for PR list . The leader duo was assisted by Barsha Man Pun.

A Central Committee meeting on Sunday had entrusted the party "headquarters" comprising top brass leaders—Chairman Dahal, Bhattarai, Shrestha and Bogati—with the responsibility to finalise the names of candidates under proportional representation category.

The third and final deadline given by the Election Commission (EC) was due to expire this evening. The UCPN (Maoist) had failed to agree on the party's PR list despite talks through the day.

UCPN (Maoist) leaders Post Bahadur Bogati and Barsha Man Pun, among other leaders, went to the Election Commission (EC) to submit the list.

UCPN (Maoist) , which managed 26 seats under first-past-the-post category, have secured 54 seats under PR category.

The UCPN (Maoist) , which was initially hesitant to submit the PR list citing the CA polls were rigged, had agreed to submit the PR list after signing a four-point deal with other political parties.

Leader Pun, after submitting the PR lawmakers list, said that no prior CA members have been inducted in the list. According to Pun, names of 27 male and 27 female PR lawmakers have been submitted.

He further said the list will be reviewed again as the names are not in accordance with the quota. The EC has given three days' time to review the submitted names.