No need of constituent assembly: Minister Dhakal; No option to constituent assembly: Leaders
Two days after the agitating seven political parties and Maoists made public the 12 point agreement between them for the restoration of total democracy in the country, the government in its official reaction, has rejected the call for constituent assembly and insisted on holding elections in the country.
In his statement, Communications Minister Tanka Dhakal, who is also the government spokesperson, said that the government is moving ahead for successful implementation of the multi-party democratic system by restoring peace in the country.
In the agreement, the rebel party pledged to accept the mandate of the election to constituent assembly, stressing the need to make the election process free and fair.
The Maoists also agreed to shun politics of violence and respect civil freedom, human rights and press freedom.
Talking to Nepalnews, NC joint general secretary Dr Ram Sharan Mahat described his statement as mere utterances adding, “We don’t think it is wise to comment on such light statements of ministers and the alliance is committed to attain its goal of restoring total democracy in the country. ”
Despite the call of major political parties to boycott the polls announced by the present government, the government had announced municipal polls for February 8 next year and the King had said that the government would hold parliamentary elections by April 2007.
The alliance and the Maoists agreed to go against the municipal elections declared by the royal government, but minister Dhakal reiterated that the government is resolutely committed to conducting a free and fair election as per the directives of His Majesty the King.
Vice-Chairman of People’s Front Nepal, Lila Mani Pokhrel, informed that the election proposed by the royal government is just a ploy to legalize the autocratic steps of the King. He added that the alliance and Maoists reached into consensus to restore total democracy in the country and for the restructuring of the state, as the present laws and constitution are inadequate to resolve the problem dogging the country.
“The government is describing the agreement as a coalition between the seven party alliance and the terrorists, which is a ploy of the royal government not to resolve the conflict of the country,” Pokhrel added.
He added that there is no option but to go to a constituent assembly to bring Maoists into mainstream of politics and restore peace in the country as the government did not responded the rebels’ call for unilateral ceasefire for three months.
Earlier, talking to journalists after returning home, Communication Minister Dhakal marked the agreement as unnatural.
Minister Dhakal, said, “ The government’s attention has been drawn towards the understanding said to have been reached between the seven political parties and Maoist terrorists as has come out in the media.”
Rajendra Pandey, central committee member of CPN-UML said that the main agenda of the country is restoration of peace by bringing the Maoists into the mainstream of politics, so the elections of constituent assembly is the need of the hour to address the problems dogging the country. He said that the reiteration of the municipal polls from the ministers is just a formality.
Commenting on the remarks of the Communications Minister regarding alliance between seven political parties and the Maoists, Pandey said they made such remarks due to the fear that they will loose their portfolio if democracy is restored in the country.
Minister Dhakal on Wednesday alleged that the recent understanding between the seven-party opposition alliance and CPN (Maoist) had materialized ‘under the guidance of the foreigners'. nepalnews.com pb Nov 25 05
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