Nepal: Prachanda to be CPN-M's candidate

Kathmandu, Aug 14: The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress (NC) are all set to file their candidacies for the election of the Prime Minister to be held on Friday, Aug 15 in the Constituent Assembly. Although NC, the second largest CA party, has yet to decide on its candidate, the single largest party CPN-M is now prepared to pitch Prachanda to contest for the top executive post, sources reported.

The parties are, nonetheless, voicing for a last ditch effort to strike consensus even till the last moment of candidacy withdrawal scheduled also for Thursday, Aug 14.

"Yes, there will be nomination and we will try to make it unanimous," Prachanda told reporters when asked about file his candidacy for Prime Minister.

Confirming the party's decision, CPN-M senior leader C.P. Gajurel said the party had made no changes in its earlier decision to lead the government and that the party chairman would be nominated to contest the elections for the top post.

The CPN-M Chairman Prachanda had met General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the third largest CA party, on Wednesday morning and had agreed that attempt should be made to form a national consensus government.

Nepali Congress leader Prakash Sharan Mahat said that his party would as well nominate its candidate.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the 16 fringe parties represented in the CA decided to back the CPN-M bid to lead the next government.

ANI