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13223
Mon, 07/21/2008 - 10:19
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Nepal Prez poll run-off Monday; Smaller parties key players
Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Jul 21 (PTI) With the Presidential poll run-off set for Monday after the two main Indian-origin candidates failed to garner clear majority, Nepal's major parties were Sunday engaged in cajoling fringe groups to votefor them in the historic ballot for the coveted post.
Nepali Congress (N.C.) candidate Ram Baran Yadav, an ethnic Madhesi leader who was widely expected to win yesterday's Presidential poll in the 594-member Constituent Assembly, fell short of 15 votes to attain the magic figure of 298 required to get elected as the head of the state in placeof the ousted King Gyanendra.
Yadav, who was backed by the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist and the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (M.P.R.F.), polled 12 votes more than Maoist candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was earlier perceived as thefront-runner.
"As per the ... Interim Constitution, none of the candidates bagged a clear majority to win, so I have fixed 8 am Monday for a run-off poll between the two top candidates," Constituent Assembly chair Kul Bahadur Gurung said at a meeting of the House held immediately after the vote count wascompleted.
Both Nepali Congress and Maoists were busy wooing smaller parties Monday to secure the backing for theirrespective presidential candidates.
Nepali Congress leader Gopal Man Shrestha said that his party and C.P.N.-U.M.L. have started discussions with smallerparties to get their support for Yadav.
"We will mobilise smaller parties Monday to ensure victory for Nepali Congress candidate Ram Baran Yadav," saidTirtha Ram Dangol, another N.C. leader.
Out of total 578 votes polled Saturday, 25 had become invalid, he said. Sixteen C.A. members, including those from Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, which is close to former King Gyanendra, did nottake part in the poll.
The C.P.N.-Maoist also held parleys with the Terai-Madhesi Democratic Party and Sadbhawana Party this morning in connection with the poll run-off, 'Kantipur Online'reported.
NC President and outgoing Premier Girija Prasad Koirala met Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party Chairman Keshav Mainali at his official residence in Baulatar, it said. Besides, the NC held the meeting of its parliamentary party to chalk out astrategy to ensure its candidate's victory tomorrow.
The M.P.R.F. has also been holding internal parleys following the reports that its leaders Saturday voted for Maoist Presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh against the party's understanding with the Nepali Congress and U.M.L.,the report said.
The N.C.-U.M.L.-M.P.R.F. alliance has also decided to propose a C.P.N.-U.M.L. candidate, possibly former Parliament Speaker Subhas Nemwang, for the post of Chairman of theConstituent Assembly.
The election for the post will be held after thepresidential poll concludes.
Paramananda Jha of M.P.R.F. was Saturday elected the Vice President by securing 305 votes out of the total turnout of 578, dealing another blow to Maoists. Jha defeated his nearest rival, Maoist candidate Shanta Shrestha, by a margin of 62votes.
His victory was the outcome of an alliance of Nepali Congress, C.P.N.-U.M.L. and M.P.R.F. against the Maoists, who broke ranks with N.C. and U.M.L. in the last-minute and fielded Ram Raja Prasad Singh, also a Madhesi, for the post of President. The Maoists had the backing of Terai MadhesiDemocratic Party and Sadbhavana Party.
Jha's win is being seen here as the victory for nationalistic and democratic alliance, said C P Mainali, president of C.P.N.-Marxist Leninist. "We were forced to forge an alliance among the anti-Maoist forces after the Maoists broke the politics of cooperation and collaboration." "We could not get enough vote for the victory of Yadav, because we had reached the agreement only Saturday noon when voting had already started, and could not convey the messageproperly to all our alliance members," Mainali said.
"Now we are trying hard to get our joint candidate Yadav elected for the top post during Monday's re-polling." On his election as Vice President, Jha said it was a victory for the Madhesi movement and that he would discharge his responsibilities in a free and impartial manner to upholdnational sovereignty and protect territorial integrity.
"I will serve the nation on the basis of political understanding and national consensus," said the 64-year-oldformer Supreme Court justice.
However, Maoist central member Matrika Yadav said Jha'svictory was the result of an "unholy" alliance.
"It is not the question of whether he belongs to Madhes or Hills or Mountain, but such an unholy alliance will not do good for the people of Madhes," he said, adding his party was hopeful that their candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh would wintomorrow's Presidential poll run-off.
The N.C.-U.M.L.-M.P.R.F. alliance got votes from C.P.N.-M.L., C.P.N.-United, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other smaller parties during yesterday's election. Maoist candidate Singh was backed by smaller Madhesi parties likeTerai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party.
If non-Maoist parties manage to get 51 percent votes for their presidential candidate, they could also install their own Premier instead of backing Maoist chief Prachanda for thepost in the new government, according to political analysts.
Maoists had emerged the largest party in the April 10 polls by securing 220 seats, followed by Nepali Congress andC.P.N.-U.M.L., which received 110 and 103 seats respectively.
Meanwhile, interim Nepal Cabinet has revised the order of raking for the top officials, placing President the first in hierarchy, followed by Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chairman of Constituent Assembly and Vice President. PTI
Nepali Congress (N.C.) candidate Ram Baran Yadav, an ethnic Madhesi leader who was widely expected to win yesterday's Presidential poll in the 594-member Constituent Assembly, fell short of 15 votes to attain the magic figure of 298 required to get elected as the head of the state in placeof the ousted King Gyanendra.
Yadav, who was backed by the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist and the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (M.P.R.F.), polled 12 votes more than Maoist candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was earlier perceived as thefront-runner.
"As per the ... Interim Constitution, none of the candidates bagged a clear majority to win, so I have fixed 8 am Monday for a run-off poll between the two top candidates," Constituent Assembly chair Kul Bahadur Gurung said at a meeting of the House held immediately after the vote count wascompleted.
Both Nepali Congress and Maoists were busy wooing smaller parties Monday to secure the backing for theirrespective presidential candidates.
Nepali Congress leader Gopal Man Shrestha said that his party and C.P.N.-U.M.L. have started discussions with smallerparties to get their support for Yadav.
"We will mobilise smaller parties Monday to ensure victory for Nepali Congress candidate Ram Baran Yadav," saidTirtha Ram Dangol, another N.C. leader.
Out of total 578 votes polled Saturday, 25 had become invalid, he said. Sixteen C.A. members, including those from Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, which is close to former King Gyanendra, did nottake part in the poll.
The C.P.N.-Maoist also held parleys with the Terai-Madhesi Democratic Party and Sadbhawana Party this morning in connection with the poll run-off, 'Kantipur Online'reported.
NC President and outgoing Premier Girija Prasad Koirala met Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party Chairman Keshav Mainali at his official residence in Baulatar, it said. Besides, the NC held the meeting of its parliamentary party to chalk out astrategy to ensure its candidate's victory tomorrow.
The M.P.R.F. has also been holding internal parleys following the reports that its leaders Saturday voted for Maoist Presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh against the party's understanding with the Nepali Congress and U.M.L.,the report said.
The N.C.-U.M.L.-M.P.R.F. alliance has also decided to propose a C.P.N.-U.M.L. candidate, possibly former Parliament Speaker Subhas Nemwang, for the post of Chairman of theConstituent Assembly.
The election for the post will be held after thepresidential poll concludes.
Paramananda Jha of M.P.R.F. was Saturday elected the Vice President by securing 305 votes out of the total turnout of 578, dealing another blow to Maoists. Jha defeated his nearest rival, Maoist candidate Shanta Shrestha, by a margin of 62votes.
His victory was the outcome of an alliance of Nepali Congress, C.P.N.-U.M.L. and M.P.R.F. against the Maoists, who broke ranks with N.C. and U.M.L. in the last-minute and fielded Ram Raja Prasad Singh, also a Madhesi, for the post of President. The Maoists had the backing of Terai MadhesiDemocratic Party and Sadbhavana Party.
Jha's win is being seen here as the victory for nationalistic and democratic alliance, said C P Mainali, president of C.P.N.-Marxist Leninist. "We were forced to forge an alliance among the anti-Maoist forces after the Maoists broke the politics of cooperation and collaboration." "We could not get enough vote for the victory of Yadav, because we had reached the agreement only Saturday noon when voting had already started, and could not convey the messageproperly to all our alliance members," Mainali said.
"Now we are trying hard to get our joint candidate Yadav elected for the top post during Monday's re-polling." On his election as Vice President, Jha said it was a victory for the Madhesi movement and that he would discharge his responsibilities in a free and impartial manner to upholdnational sovereignty and protect territorial integrity.
"I will serve the nation on the basis of political understanding and national consensus," said the 64-year-oldformer Supreme Court justice.
However, Maoist central member Matrika Yadav said Jha'svictory was the result of an "unholy" alliance.
"It is not the question of whether he belongs to Madhes or Hills or Mountain, but such an unholy alliance will not do good for the people of Madhes," he said, adding his party was hopeful that their candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh would wintomorrow's Presidential poll run-off.
The N.C.-U.M.L.-M.P.R.F. alliance got votes from C.P.N.-M.L., C.P.N.-United, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other smaller parties during yesterday's election. Maoist candidate Singh was backed by smaller Madhesi parties likeTerai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party.
If non-Maoist parties manage to get 51 percent votes for their presidential candidate, they could also install their own Premier instead of backing Maoist chief Prachanda for thepost in the new government, according to political analysts.
Maoists had emerged the largest party in the April 10 polls by securing 220 seats, followed by Nepali Congress andC.P.N.-U.M.L., which received 110 and 103 seats respectively.
Meanwhile, interim Nepal Cabinet has revised the order of raking for the top officials, placing President the first in hierarchy, followed by Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chairman of Constituent Assembly and Vice President. PTI
