Miscellaneous
Congress not to repeat PR quota lawmakers
The Nepali Congress has decided to bar incumbent lawmakers elected under the proportional representation (PR) system from being candidates in the same category in the upcoming federal and parliamentary elections.The Nepali Congress has decided to bar incumbent lawmakers elected under the proportional representation (PR) system from being candidates in the same category in the upcoming federal and parliamentary elections.
Party General Secretary Shashank Koirala presented such a proposal in the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) that began on Friday. Leaders who spoke in the meeting supported the idea.
“Leaders threw their weight behind the proposal and the CWC is likely to endorse it without changes,” said NC leader Ram Hari Khatiwada. Instead, incumbent lawmakers elected on PR quotas should contest the polls under the first-past-the-post category. Leaders who lost the local level elections will also be ineligible to contest the parliamentary polls. The CWC meeting will continue on Saturday, dwelling on a strategy to counter the left alliance of the CPN-UML, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party that was announced on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba told the meeting that discussions are going on with other parties about forming a “democratic” alliance in response to the leftist front. Commenting that the three parties’ decision was not an ordinary political development, the PM said it poses a challenge to democratic norms and values.
ML MP Chaudhary joins NC
JANAKPUR: CPN-ML proportional representation lawmaker Shiva Chandra Chaudhary quit the party on Friday to join the Nepali Congress. NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi welcomed Chaudhary to the party amid a ceremony held at his residence in Janakpur. Hundreds of youths including businessmen Hansaraj Sah and Rakesh Bikram Sah joined the Congress on Sunday. Both of them were mayoral candidates during the recently concluded local level elections. (PR)