UCPN (M) ready to quit govt if oppn agrees for polls: Dahal

UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Saturday claimed that his party was ready for government change if the opposition parties agreed to hold elections by end of May (Jestha 15).

Addressing the Bhaktapur district convention of the party, Dahal said hhis party would "immediately pave the way" provided the opposition bloc "agrees to create an atmosphere of elections". According to him, the Maoist party is going to hit the streets after Jestha 15 if the polls are not held by then.

Addressing the same function, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also said elections were the only way forward.

Bhattarai also accused the opposition parties of trying to derail the peace process by whipping up war-era cases. Insisting that the Nepali Congress and the UML also killed thousands of people, he said dealing with conflict-era issues outside of the transitional justice mechanism will be against the peace accord. nepalnews.com