Nepal: Constituent Assembly elections in April

Kathmandu, Oct 25: Constituent Assembly (CA) election, which has been postponed two times, will be held in April next year, a senior minister said.

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel, who is second in seniority after PM Koirala, reiterated that the election will be held by mid April next year.

"Maoists have been trying to hold the country hostage by putting up hurdles at a time when the objective of a federal democratic republic is near", Poudel was quoted as saying in Kantipur.

The election which was earlier scheduled to be held on November 22 was postponed as the Maoists left the government and said that they would disrupt the polls unless the monarchy is totally abolished and proportional representation system is introduced.

Maoists threat to break the seven-party alliance would not benefit the party. "This is not the time to threaten and take the matters as a game, Maoists should take matters seriously," Poudel said.

He appealed everyone to unite against the elements which try to create hurdles on the path of a 'bloodless revolutionary success." The often changing stance of the Maoists'has forced everyone to rethink over their intentions, he added.

Stating that "Maoists were driven by opportunists and reactionary elements," he ruled out the possibility of any change in the agreement.

Meanwhile, Vice President of Nepali Congress Gopal Man Shrestha has pointed out that the Maoists are giving the opportunity to the royalists by placing obstructions in the run-up to the CA elections.

Shrestha also said that the Maoists should withdraw their proposals at the special session of the House to make the country a republic through political consensus.

UNI