NC to UCPN-M: Back our candidate for President, we’ll back your Speaker candidate

Online Khabar

Kathmandu, October 16. Nepali Congress will back the UCPN-Maoist candidate for Speaker and RPP-Nepal candidate for Deputy Speaker if the two parties pledge in writing to support the Congress’ candidate for President.

The UCPN-Maoist is consulting with the Congress after the NC asked the Maoist party to support its candidate for President. Congress President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, party Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Krishna Sitaula have been talking to UCPN-Maoist Chair Prachanda.

Maoist candidate for Speaker Onsari Gharti had met the Congress leadership, and asked the party to support her for the post, according to Congress lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada. For this to happen, the Maoist party will have to support Congress’ candidate for President, Khatiwada quoted the Congress leadership as saying.

Congress leaders, including Chandra Bhandari, Gopal Man Shrestha, and Khatiwada, were angry at party President Koirala for not issuing a whip on  lawmakers to vote for certain candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

With two candidates from the ruling coalition seeking the Speaker’s post, Congress lawmakers are in confusion, Congress lawmaker Khatiwada said. NWPP’s Anuradha Thapa Magar has fielded candidature for the Speaker’s post against UCPN-Maoist candidate Onsari Gharti Magar. NWPP’s Dilli Prasad Kafle and RPP-Nepal’s Ganga Prasad Yadav are in contest for the post of Deputy Speaker.

Meanwhile, Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal Chief Whip Shivaji Yadav said United Democratic Madheshi Front wants Speaker elected unanimously.