NC, UML and MJF to hold talks with small parties

With the objective of drawing votes in favour of their common presidential candidates, Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) are preparing to hold talks with smaller parties.

According to a UML leader, the parties will campaign in favour of presidential candidate Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to take this process to a conclusion at the soonest.

After none of the two candidates could gather enough votes on Saturday, the presidential election will be held again on Monday.

Dr. Yadav, general secretary of NC, bagged 283 votes while his rival Ram Raja Prasad Singh – supported by Maoists – bagged 270 votes. A candidate needed 298 votes to be elected as the president.

On Saturday, smaller parties like Rastriya Jana Morcha, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP-Nepal), CPN (United) and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) boycotted the voting.

Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting, Saturday, has adjusted the law on protocol rankings. President, as the head of state, will be accorded the highest protocol ranking followed by Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Constituent Assembly chairman, and vice president. The cabinet also proposed providing 300 to 500 security personnel for president and 150 security personnel for vice president. nepalnews.com sd Jul 20 08

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