Power sharing, contesting by-elections

The National Independent Party is going to field candidates in Ilam-2 only. The United Samajwadi Party has finalized the names of the candidates in both areas. Janata Samajwadi Party has also prepared to give candidature.

UML, parties other than RSVP were in the mood to form a common candidate based on consensus. After UML decided to nominate Suhang, son of former speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang, in Ilam-2 and Daman Bhandari in Bajhang-1 (1) without discussing the alliance, other power partner parties are also going to nominate candidates. In the last general election, Nemwang of UML won in Ilam-2 by only 114 votes.

Maoists have recommended the names of Dhirendra Sharma Timsina, Urmila Tamang, Om Bahadur Gurung and Kumar Bareili for Ilam-2. A candidate will be selected from among these. The RSVP is going to field Milan Limbu, who has a Maoist background. He will be the candidate after the other candidates who were recommended on Thursday supported Limbu. He is also a former journalist.

UML Deputy General Secretary Vishnu Rimal said that there was no discussion on raising a common candidate. He said that even if there is a partnership in power, the party is in favor of healthy competition. "Alliances and equations should be understood in a different way," he said, "we believe that there should be cooperation and healthy competition between the parties based on the agenda."

He also said that UML has called for support for its candidates. "We ask them to help us, if they help us, we say thank you, if not, we will have healthy competition," he said.

Maoist vice-chairman and spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota said that even if the office-bearers meeting decided to pick a candidate, the decision of the person would be made in a day or two. "After the parties in the coalition announce their candidates, we will also decide the candidates of both regions," he said. According to

sources, UML President KP Sharma Oli is preparing to discuss with Prime Minister and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to help Suhang in Ilam-2.

RSVP Central Election Commission Secretary Bhuminanda Baral said that six people, including Limbu, expressed their aspiration to become candidates in Ilam-2, but the remaining 5 expressed their commitment to support Limbu. In the discussion held at the central office in Chahmati, Kathmandu on Thursday, 5 candidates supported Limbu and withdrew their candidature. RSWP has said that it will not give candidature in Bajhang-1(1).

Jaspa leader Manish Suman said that the party will field candidates in both areas. "JSP will nominate its candidate", he said, "We will also contest as the alliance parties have announced their candidates." United Socialist Deputy General Secretary Jagannath Khatiwada said, 'We will compete in both the regions.' Before announcing the candidates, the United Socialists indicated that they would support UML's Suhang in Ilam on the condition that they support their candidate in Bajhang.

Bye-elections are being held on Baisakh 15 in both Ilam-2 towards the Representative Assembly and Bajhang-1 (1) towards the Provincial Assembly. Ilam-2 was vacant after the death of UML Vice President and Constituent Assembly Speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang on August 26. In Bajhang, the state MP Prithvi Bahadur Singh, who was elected from the Congress, passed away on June 25 and became vacant.

Similarly, Dakendrasingh Limbu from the identityist party has also announced his candidacy in Elam. Janmat Party has nominated Premdeep Thamsuhang as a candidate from the identity party. Premdeep is also the national chairman of the Kirat-Limbuwan province nomination campaign.

Dambar Khadka, Bhesraj Acharya and Keshav Thapa are contenders in Ilam-2 from the main opposition Congress. Khadka was defeated by UML's Subashandra Nemwang. Nemwang got 30 thousand 20 votes and Khadka got 29 thousand 906 votes.

'It's a power equation, not a coalition'

Bishnu Rimal, UML Deputy General Secretary

There was talk that the power coalition would support UML in Ilam-2, but why did UML announce its candidate alone?

It's a power equation, not an alliance. We have said that we should share what we agree with, we have said that we should do it ourselves. We believe that there should be cooperation and healthy competition between the parties on the basis of agenda. In this way, we have called for the cooperation of the parties who can help in the by-election. Another thing, there has been no discussion between the parties in the power equation to make a common candidate. Before the final list of candidates comes out, one may insist on the other. We have also asked for help. If you help, we say thank you, if not, we compete.

There was talk of Maoists supporting UML in Ilam-2, right?

We are not trying to create a syndicate of parties. They mixed up, made alliances, set up syndicates, this way politics will not be stable. We agree on the minimum policy. We have made a common resolution.

Apart from this, we would have our own agenda. They can help each other in the by-election. In the last election we won in Ilam, the nearest rival is in Bajhang. In both places, he contested with the Congress candidate and not with others. We will win the election. If friends in power pick a candidate, we have no further comment. We are all free to be candidates in elections. What should not be understood is that everything must be shared after the alliance.

Power will be shared, policy decisions will be made, but why candidates are not shared?

We have partnered for government operations. We have not said that we will fight the next election together. We have made minimum policy priorities and resolutions for government operation. Most of the things are our own.

What happens when you understand that the election is a pure competition between the coalition parties, and the government is a collaboration?

, that's why we didn't say alliance. We don't like the word coalition. Now all the five parties in power have called for a new alignment. It has no common election symbol, no common manifesto. We have presented a common minimum policy and resolution based on the government's priorities.

is likely to be a common candidate in the end?

I can't talk about others. UML's candidates rise in both the regions.