Senior leader of Nepal’s CPN-UML, Gokul Baskota, has publicly urged party Vice Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa, also known as “Badal,” to withdraw his name from the proportional representation (PR) list.
In a statement posted on social media, Baskota criticized senior and influential leaders for repeatedly securing parliamentary seats through the proportional system. He said opposition to the PR system becomes justified when leaders who consider themselves powerful and popular continue to rely on it instead of contesting direct elections.
“The criticism of proportional representation is valid when the same leaders repeatedly occupy PR quotas,” Baskota wrote. He added that if major parties plan to contest elections together, leaders should face voters directly rather than remain on proportional lists.
Referring to the election symbols of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML—the tree and the sun—Baskota said that if the two parties were to go into elections together, contesting the polls directly would be appropriate.
He called on what he described as “repeat PR candidates” to withdraw their names and said the proportional system should not be misused. He also stated that male leaders occupying PR seats undermine the principle of inclusion.
Vice Chair Thapa had earlier suggested that the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML should contest elections jointly. He expressed this view in the presence of party chair KP Sharma Oli. His remarks have since sparked internal discussion within the party.
The issue has generated debate inside the CPN-UML regarding the use of the proportional representation system and electoral strategy.
