Saturday, June 28, 2008

Nepali CPN-Maoist still for non-partisan president

KATHMANDU, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) still sticks to its former stance on proposing a non-partisan person, Ram Raja Prasad Singh, as the next president of the newly born republic, local newspaper The Rising Nepal reported Saturday.

Speaking at a program organized by Himalayan Press Club on Friday, CPN-M leader Post Bahadur Bogati said that his party had not altered its earlier decision of supporting Ram Raja Prasad Singh as president.

Bogati said that discussions on the issue were in progress with other parties and a concrete agreement has not been reached so far.

He said CPN-M chairman Prachanda would be the next Prime Minister only after the election and installation of the president.

At a meeting with the CPN-UML on Friday, CPN-M even urged the former to support Singh for the post.

CPN-UML, however, stuck to its former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal as the choice for the top post. But CPN-M rejected Nepal's name outright, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported.

"We can't agree to Madhav Kumar Nepal's name as the first president," said senior CPN-M leader Mohan Baidya, who was present during the meeting held in the Nepali capital Kathmandu.

He said his party wants an independent personality for president. "We may agree on (CPN-UML leader and the female foreign affairs minister) Sahana Pradhan in the end if there is no consensus on an independent figure," he said.

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