By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali parties on Wednesday have agreed on the 26 seats distribution among the parties.
According to the Nepali Interim Constitution, the 601-seat Constituent Assembly (CA) includes 575 elected seats and 26 appointed by the Interim Government cabinet. The 575 seats have been elected since April 10, in which the Communist Party of Nepal(Maoist) (CPN-M) emerged as the single largest party with 220 seats, followed by the Nepali Congress (NC) with 110 seats and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) with103 seats.
“We have agreed on the nomination of 26 members of the Constituent Assembly. The CPN-M will get nine, NC and CPN-UML five each, Madhesi People’s Rights Forum two and the remaining five for the small parties, including Sadbhawana Party, the People’s Front, Terai Madhesh Democratic Party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party will get one seat each. We shall finalize the name of CA members on Thursday,” Jhal Nath Khanal, CPN-UML General Secretary told reporters. “It’s a historic agreement after the declaration of republic. Now the long political deadlock has ended. Now there are no complications and we will try to gather consensus on forming a new government.”
“The agreements today have opened the door to form a new government. We want the constitution amendment to be approved as soon as possible,” CPN-M chairman Prachanda said. “the Nepali Congress has agreed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will declare his resignation at the CA meeting on Thursday. He will make the announcement and request to form a new government.”
“We have not yet finalized the name of the president. But we will work together with the CPN-UML on the president,” Prachanda said.
Former reports indicated that the CPN-M will support a CPN-UML nominee for president, while with CPN-UML’s support to gather a simple majority, Prachanda might be the first Prime Minister of the youngest republic in the world declared by the CA on May 28.