Palpa, Nov. 26- Women rights activists are worried after all the woman candidates in the first-past-the-post system in the November 19 CA elections in Lumbini Zone were defeated.
The zone with six districts and 27 constituencies did not have a single woman candidate elected.
Women rights activists have blamed major political parties as they did not nominate more women candidates in theses constituencies.
Though the women and dalit candidates were not elected in the election their representation should be guaranteed through the proportional system, said Tirtha Prasad Gautam, a dalit activist.
Even though Sita Devkota, candidate of the Nepali Congress from Palpa Constituency No. 1 scored 11,958 votes, she was defeated by Radha Krishna Kandel of CPN (UML) who scored 17,804 votes in the election. Likewise, women candidates contesting from two other constituencies remained unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Pushpa Bhusal of the Nepali Congress from Arghakhanchi Constituency No. 2 was also defeated by Dr. Duman Thapa of CPN (UML) though she secured 14,036 votes in the election.
As the women activists did not raise the issue of women rights, only 11 women candidates were elected in first-past-the- post system in this CA election, said women activists.
Most of the women candidates of major political parties in these constituencies have got second position and other candidates of minor political parties have scored less than 500 votes.
Though the women representation in the CA through first- past- the-post system has lessened it should be increased and reached above 33 per cent through the PR system, said women activists.