Maoist, UML leaders accuse each other of breaking alliance

The debate between Maoist leader Agni Prasad Sapkota and UML leader Bhim Rawal on their choice to remain in different alliance after they failed to reach consensus on presidential candidate, attracted a large crowd in the premise of International Convention center (ICC) Monday morning.

The two leaders were blaming each other for breaking up the alliance between the two largest communist parties when voting process of the president was going on.

Sapkota was accusing the UML of not proposing the candidates it fielded for presidential and vice-presidential posts after the CPN-Maoist's decision to field its own candidates.

"What did the UML gain by going for an alliance with the Nepali Congress (NC) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF)?" Sapkota asked. "If the UML had proposed the name of Ram Prit Paswan for president earlier we would have readily helped."

He claimedd that the UML failed to provide inclusive candidate earlier and now the UML has been defeated in every front. "How do you answer your women leaders and cadres as well as Madhesi people about your failure to pick them for the top post of the country?

In response, Rawal said some people are above any caste, gender and community. "Madhav Nepal is one such personality and we decided to stick to his name," he clarified.

But, women Constituent Assembly (CA) members of UML questioned why the Maoists failed to give a woman's name for the presidential post although they talked much about women participation.

The debate went on for about ten minutes while the large number of CA members standing with them criticised the logic of respective sides.

On the other side, CA member Baban Singh from Rautahat, who is accused of being involved in bomb blasts in Tripureshowr of Kathmandu last year, was also dear to the media. He said he voted for Ram Raja Prasad Singh for his role in bringing republic in the country. nepalnews.com ps July 21 08

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