Rewati Sapkota

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Kathmandu, December 23

As the Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties have refused to budge from their stance on the National Assembly Election Ordinance, the CPN-UML is under pressure to back the ordinance.

Multiple sources said the UML is under pressure also because moderate leaders of the party and the CPN-Maoist Centre were positive about finding a middle path on the issue. The CPN-MC has also said that a middle path should be sought on the issue.

Sources said UML Chair KP Sharma Oli was still not convinced about finding a middle path on the issue. Oli has said that the ordinance is unconstitutional and it should not endorsed by the president.

However, Oli is under pressure also because CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has not strongly supported Oli’s line and has rather said publicly that the issue of National Assembly Election Ordinance should be settled on the basis of consensus.

“The issue demands more time and discussion and it should be settled amicably on the basis of consensus,” said Dahal’s Private Secretary Jokh Bahadur Mahara, who is also the CPN-MC’s Secretariat member.

Dahal has separately met President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chair Oli in his attempt to break the deadlock on the issue.

On the request of Dahal, the prime minister had called an all-party meeting yesterday where the Madhes-centric parties Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal had also urged UML to go for single transferable voting system.

According to sources, Nepali Congress leader Krishna Sitaula had read out the constitutional provision on National Assembly election, but Oli said single transferable vote system could not be applied after two years when over 20 National Assembly members would retire.

Each province will elect eight Upper House members and the president will nominate three members to the Upper House on the recommendation of the government.

Out of eight members that each province will elect to the National Assembly, at least three should be women, one should be from Dalit community one from minorities or a person with disability.

The UML is in favour of holding Upper House election on the basis of first-past-the-post electoral system that would give it an advantage, as majority of elected representatives in local levels and provinces — the electorate for National Assembly election — are from the alliance.

UML leader and Senior Advocate Agni Kharel said that the proposals to elect National Assembly members on the basis of first-past-the post electoral system were first endorsed by the Cabinet when Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi was the home minister.

“Consensus can be forged only when constitutionally viable,” he said.

Nepali Congress has been stating that the endorsement of the ordinance will pave the way for the National Assembly elections and formation of new government.

The Deuba-led government has sent a National Assembly Members Election Ordinance to the president, proposing single transferable vote system that gives opposition parties a chance to get their members elected to the Upper House.

A version of this article appears in print on December 24, 2017 of The Himalayan Times.

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