Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens

New alliance is born; 'president to NC, veep to MJF and CA chair to UML'

In a sudden shift in political equation, three parties - Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) - have agreed to share the three key positions - president, vice-president and chair of the Constituent Assembly (CA).

As per the understanding reached at a meeting of the three parties Saturday morning, just ahead of the presidential election, UML and MJF have agreed to back NC's presidential candidate Dr Ram Baran Yadav while MJF's Paramananda Jha will get support for the vice presidential slot. Likewise, UML has settled for the chair of the CA.

However, the three parties will have to bring few other allies on board to reach the magic number, 298, in order to materialise their agreement.

The 'new alliance' was born after the Maoists refused to back both UML and NC candidates for the post of the president, and instead went ahead with its own candidate.

Negotiations between the Maoists and MJF leaders this morning had failed.

MJF parliamentary leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar said after the meeting that his party would not support Maoist presidential candidate, Ram Raja Prasad Singh, as they refused to back MJF candidate for vice presidential slot.

Two other Madhesi parties, Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) and Sadbhawana Party (SP), which had pledged support to Singh, are yet to comment on the new alliance of NC, UML and MJF. nepalnews.com mk July 19 08