Ram Raja, Maoists presidential candidate

Kathmandu, Jun 10: The Maoists are all set to propose Ram Raja Prasad Singh, a veteran pro-republic leader, as the Presidential candidate in Nepal. Nepalnews quoted Maoist leader Netra Bikram Chand as saying that "It's time we gave due recognition to Ram Raja Prasad Singh's contribution to the republican movement.

He said that the party has kept his name in priority as the Presidential candidate. Speaking at Reporters Club Nepal on Monday, Bikram Chand said that the CPN-UML leader Shahana Pradhan, Communist leader Nara Bahadur Karmacharya, Padma Ratna Tuladhar and civil society member Dr Devendra Raj Panday could be alternative candidates for the post.

The Maoist leader also made it clear that his party would never accept Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as the first president of the republic of Nepal. He also accused the Nepali Congress of trying to establish parallel government by proposing Koirala for the post of president.

ANI