Miscellaneous
NC-UML held CA hostage: Bhattarai
UCPN (Maoist) leader Baburam Bhattarai has accused the ruling parties—Nepali Congress and CPN-UML—of holding the Constituent Assembly hostage.Ekantipur Report
Speaking at a press meet organised here in the district by Baglung chapter of revolutionary journalists on Sunday, Bhattarai said his party would not participate in the CA unless consensus is forged on the disputed issues of constitution drafting.
He made it clear that his party would not, at any cost, agree on the agenda of those intending to promulgate the new constitution by putting the federalism on back burner. “Nothing can be achieved by attending the CA called by those trying to bring in the constitution without addressing the mandate of people’s mandate,” said leader Bhattarai. “The mandate of people’s movement and people’s war are republic, secularism, and federalism with ethnic identity. We can attend the CA only after forging consensus on those issues.”
He claimed that the alliance of opposition parties organsied the general strike in order to ensure the identity-based federalism. He said his party will attend the CA meet if the agenda of drafting the new constitution through consensus is approved.
Though the new constitution could be drafted by May 29, Bhattarai said the NC and UML are delaying and showing the arrogance of majority because they do not want the new constitution. He claimed that the first CA had to be dissolved because of the opposition’s reluctance to draft the new constitution.