The task force formed by the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) will get down to work on Thursday for making necessary preparations for National Assembly election, formation of the provincial assemblies and provincial governments.

The decision was made during a task force meeting held at UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Balkot in the presence of Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal took a decision to this effect, according to left alliance leaders. 

The chairmen of the UML and the Maoist Centre directed the task force to carry out the works immediately with the sentiment of unification on the basis of people’s mandate in the recent elections.

Maoist Centre leader and a member of the task force Barsha Man Pun, who participated in the meeting, said they had reached an agreement to start works on the basis of four criteria.

Besides the modality of task force’s works, the leaders held a preliminary discussion on adjustment of office bearers of the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies, according to Pun.

The task force will present a report to the Party Unification Coordination Committee after reaching a common understanding on issues regarding selection of common candidates for the National Assembly election, chief minister of provinces and province assembly speaker, Pun said.

The task force has been mandated to allocate seats taking into account the power sharing ratio between the two parties and the number of seats and weightage of the votes they have garnered in the provincial assembly and local level elections.

It has also been mandated to take into consideration the leadership capacity of people to effectively run the government and parliament while allocating seats in order to expedite the unification process, according to UML leader and task force member Shankar Pokhrel.

The task force consists of leaders Subas Nembang, Pokhrel and Surendra Pandey from the UML and Ram Bahadur Thapa, Barsha Man Pun and Matrika Yadav from the Maoist Centre.