CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai has stressed on the need to form a national consensus government to hold elections.

Addressing a programme organised by Press Chautari Nepal in Pokhara on

Sunday, the UML leader said that the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government has already been unsuccessful and it is unable to hold three tiers of elections.

At a time when the opposition parties have been piling pressure on the government to hold elections at the earliest, Bhattarai warned that the ‘dubious character’ of Prime Minister Dahal would push the country towards uncertainty. “The elections cannot be conducted just by spreading propaganda. Dates of elections should be announced, consensus among political parties should be sought,” he added.

In another context, Bhattarai claimed that the constitution amendment bill tabled in Parliament had already been inactive. He said such a proposal would get life only after the election of federal parliament.

Over the recent arrest of CK Raut, a ‘free’ Tarai campaigner, the UML leader demanded that anyone who raised voice for disintegration had to be punished.

UML against nationalism: Poudel

SYANGJA: Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel has claimed that the main opposition CPN-UML is against the nationalism. Speaking at a programme in Waling on Sunday, Poudel accused the UML of trying to weaken nationalism by chanting slogans of ultra-nationalism. “The nationalism will be weakened if the agitating Madhes-based parties are brought on board,” said the NC leader.