Kathmandu- Following the failure of unity talks with other political forces, the Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) has begun preparations to finalize its list of candidates for the proportional representation (PR) system.
UNEP had held negotiations with the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah’s political group, and the Progressive Democratic Party in an effort to forge electoral unity. The party had initially prioritised unity with Mayor Balen Shah’s group, and even after Balen aligned with the RSP, tripartite talks were held.
However, the negotiations ultimately collapsed due to disagreements over power sharing and distribution of responsibilities. With no agreement in sight, UNP has decided to proceed independently.
UNP spokesperson Dr Raju Thapa confirmed that the party has started finalising names for the proportional list. “Unity could not be achieved, so we are now working to determine the names of proportional candidates from our own party,” he said.
A central committee member of UNP claimed that unity efforts were undermined due to what he described as dismissive behaviour from RSP leadership. According to him, despite UNP’s strong willingness for unity, negotiations faltered after shifting positions on seat-sharing. He added that the party plans to launch a nationwide campaign after submitting the proportional list.
Unity talks continued until late Sunday night, involving RSP President Rabi Lamichhane, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, and Ujyalo Nepal patron Kulman Ghising, but no breakthrough was reached.
The Election Commission has set Monday as the final deadline for submitting proportional representation candidate lists. Political parties are required to submit a list of 110 candidates in line with constitutional inclusiveness provisions.
