UCPN (M) begins candidate selection for Nov. poll
Having deputed its Central Committee members to the 240 electoral constituencies for the upcoming Constituent Assembly election, the UCPN (Maoist) has begun the process to select candidates for the November 19 vote.
Party leaders say candidate selection will be the most difficult and challenging task for the party as the number of contenders is too high. Some have already started lobbying hard for candidacy. Therefore, the party has asked the CC members on the ground to recommend names of four possible candidates for each constituency. The mobilised leaders will have to submit the names to the party headquarters by August 26.
A party plenum recently decided to organise a national convention to settle organisational disputes created by an unexpected number of leaders willing to be appointed to various party committees. Leaders express fear that the problem could repeat while selecting the election candidates. The number of leaders aspiring for a seat in the central committee was 500.
The party has told its leaders to prepare personal details of the leaders to be recommended as election candidates. Once the party receives the names of possible candidates, the Post Bahadur Bogati-led Candidate Selection Committee will make a final decision on the candidacy in the first-past-the-post system. “Our leaders have already reached the field to prepare a report on the party's position and the names of possible candidates,” said party spokesperson Agni Sapkota.
The extended meeting of the party decided to send leaders to the grassroots level for poll campaigning. Meanwhile, the Baburam Bhattarai-led Election Manifesto Drafting Committee has started work.
In recent months, the Maoist party has received an influx of leaders and cadres from other parties. This has further complicated the candidate selection process. Leaders said they were trying to make the task free of any controversy.
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