Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak has defended the electoral alliance in some local federal units between his party Nepali Congress and the coalition partner CPN (Maoist Centre) saying that the partnership would facilitate the constitution implementation process.

During a regular press briefing at the NC headquarters in Sanepa on Friday, Minister Lekhak said that poll alliances between the forces favouring republicanism and federalism are natural.

The NC and the Maoists have formed an alliance in Pokhara and Bharatpur for the May 14 vote. In some local units in Makwanpur, the largest party has formed an alliance with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

According to Lekhak, the Maoist Centre will support the NC’s mayoral candidate

in Pokhara-Lekhnath Metropolitan City while the NC will support the Maoist mayoral candidate in Bharatpur Metropolis.

The Maoists will support the NC’s mayor candidate in Hetauda sub-metropolitan city. The alliance between the two ruling parties is in effect also for Thaha Municipality in Makwanpur, Nilkantha Municipality in Dhading, Bhimeshwar Municipality in Dolakha, and Thulibheri Municipality in Dolpa.

“We expect a political culture from our party leaders and cadres where the alliance has been reached,” Lekhak said, while calling for support to the party’s official candidates. The Congress has made a large number of women, Dalits, Dalit women and under-represented groups candidates for the local polls, he added.

The party claims to have fielded 109 candidates from the Janajati and Madhesi communities. The number of Dalit and Madhesi Dalit candidates for municipality and village council posts is 97.

Two women are in the fray for the post of mayor in two municipalities and four women are fighting for the village council chair from the party. Twenty-four Janajatis have filed candidacies for mayor and 31 for deputy mayor.

Elections are being held in four metropolitan cities, one sub-metropolis, 92 municipalities and 283 local units in the first phase.

Maoist Centre reveals commitment paper

The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) has officially revealed the party’s 30-point commitment paper for the upcoming local level polls.

Unveiling the manifesto in Perisdanda on Friday, party Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal claimed that the all-powerful local levels in the constitution were the result of their armed struggle. Explaining the issues raised in the paper, Bhusal said the Maoist Centre urged the people to back the leadership of the party that championed the agenda.

“Only the party that owns the agenda can implement it. Federalism, republican set up and the empowerment were all established by the Maoist Centre,” she said, adding that after the polls Nepali people could truly feel the taste of republican set up and federalism in the country.

Unlike other parties the Maoist Centre has not promised per capita income and energy, Bhusal said, but has committed to make the local levels developed exploiting the resources available. The party has focused on agricultural developments at all the rural municipalities and municipalities. She said the party’s plans, including one-village-one-model-product and creating job opportunities were also included in the commitment.

According to her , the CPN-UML has betrayed her party at Tanahun district as the party broke all the agreements made before the nomination. “As per the agreement, the Maoist Centre filed its candidacies only on the positions agreed with them. But in breach of the deal, they separately fielded candidates for all the positions,” she said.

She admitted to forging alliances both with the NC and the UML at local levels though the party’s priority was the alliance with ruling coalition partner NC.