The Maoists have nominated party Vice-chairman Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai as their prime ministerial candidate while the NC has pitted its vice-president, Ram Chandra Paudel, against Bhattarai. [break]
As of Friday, the decisive forces -- CPN-UML and the alliance of Madhesi parties -- remain undecided while an alliance of 10 small parties, which have 30 votes altogether, is also in a wait-and-see mode.
CPN-UML calls Standing Committee meeting
The CPN-UML has called a meeting of its Standing Committee for Saturday to take a decision on whom to support. Similarly, the United Democratic Madhesi Front is meeting CPN-UML leaders on Saturday morning before taking any decision.
CPN-UML leaders said that a majority of leaders in the party are of the view that the party should vote for Paudel. But they also said that the party may abstain from joining the government even if it votes for the NC candidate.
Meanwhile, two dozen Central Committee members have demanded the party leadership call a meeting of that committee, arguing that the issue of voting in a prime ministerial election should be decided by the Central Committee, not by the Standing Committee, according to Yogesh Bhattarai, a CPN-UML Central Committee member.
The leaders have argued that the Central Committee should discuss the Maoist-floated proposal on the peace process and hold talks about it with the Maoists. They held the view that if the Maoists are sincere about the proposal, ready to clarify ambigious points and show further flexibity, the party should allow a grace period and lend support to the Maoists.
CPN-UML has 106 votes while the Madhesi alliance has 71. For the NC to get its candidate elected, it needs the support of the CPN-UML and the Madhesi alliance. But for UCPN (Maoist), the votes of the Madhesi Front are sufficient to garner a simple majority for its prime ministerial candidate.
Madhesi alliance puts conditions to Maoists, NC
On Friday, Maoist and NC leaders held separate meetings with the Madhesi alliance in their bid to win the latter´s support. But the alliance did not commit its votes to either of them, making any prediction in the prime ministerial race difficult.
The alliance sought the NC´s position on the bulk entry of Madhesis into the national army and on federalism. But the NC leaders told them they would discuss these issues at the party´s Central Committee.
Similarly, the alliance demanded that the Maoists be clear about their proposal on the peace process, saying the proposal the former floated on Thursday was ambiguous. They also told the Maoists that the latter´s stance of not handing over the keys to the arms containers is not acceptable.
"The alliance will make its position clear after meeting the CPN-UML leaders," said Rameshwor Yadav, who is senior vice-chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Republican), a member of the alliance.
A senior Madhesi leader told Republica that the decision of the alliance will depend on the decision of the CPN-UML. "Making our position clear before the CPN-UML decision will weaken our bargaining position," said the leader.
Similarly, the National Political Front, an alliance of 10 fringe parties which has 30 members in the CA, said the alliance is undecided whom to support though it held a meeting on Friday.
"The alliance will try to vote together and will take a decision on Sunday morning," said Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani, parliamentary party leader of Rastriya Janasakti Party, a member of the alliance.
Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) Chairman Upendra Yadav said his party would take a decision on how to vote by Saturday evening. MPRF has 11 lawmakers.
But another MPRF leader said that the party is in a wait-and-see mode. "Our support depends on how many ministries we are to get in the new government," said the leader, preferring anonymity.
Another alliance of fringe parties, Federal Republic Alliance, said it is deciding about its support on Saturday. It has 11 votes.
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