37 parties submit closed lists at EC; agitating Madhesi parties opt out
Thirty-seven political parties including major ruling parties Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) submitted the closed lists of their candidates to be elected under the proportional system, at the Election Commission (EC), on Wednesday.
Maoist leaders reached the EC office at Kantipath with a huge crowd of supporters who waved party flags and chanted slogans. Party chairman Prachanda submitted the nominations for all 335 proportional seats.
Maoist ministers Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Pampha Bhusal and some central leaders were also present at the EC for submitting the list. The party is learnt to have filed the candidacy of senior leader Mohan Baidya for proportional seat.
Speaking to reporters after submitting the list, Prachanda said his party has fielded 51 percent women candidates under proportional system.
Likewise, Nepali Congress party that submitted the list of all 335 candidates has fielded Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for proportional seat.
CPN-UML filed candidacies of some senior leaders under proportional election system. They include Standing Committee members Sahana Pradhan, Amrit Bohara and Mukunda Neupane.
Other ruling allies - Janamorcha Nepal, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN (Marxist Leninist) and Shyam Sunsar Gupta-led faction of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) – also filed their closed lists.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana also registered the party’s closed list for proportional system while Rastriaya Janashakti Party (RJP) didn’t submit the list as the party had announced on Tuesday that the party would boycott the April 10 polls, citing the government’s failure to resolve the Terai crisis.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-Nepal), a pro-monarchist party led by former royalist stalwarts, also filed the nominations for proportional voting system.
Meanwhile, three agitating Madhesi parties – Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum – didn’t submit the closed lists.
Chure-Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party today decided to boycott the CA election.
Nepal Bikash Party, Muskan Sena Nepal, Nepal Janabhawana Party and Samajbadi Prajatantrik Party were among the fringe parties that have filed the closed lists at the EC.
The commission has fixed Feb 20 (today) as the deadline to file the closed list. The parties were asked to submit the closed lists by 5 pm.
The Commission had earlier registered 74 political parties. nepalnews.com mk Feb 20 08
