Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday urged people to vote for democracy in the upcoming provincial and federal elections scheduled for November 26 and December 7. 

Addressing a party programme in Pokhara, Deuba said the election alliance formed by the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) had stoked fears of a single party system in the country. 

“The communist alliance attempts to bring a system of fear and terror. There is no democracy in any country that has communist rule. People cannot express their opinions when fear and terror reign supreme. North Korea is an example,” said Deuba, lashing out at the left alliance of two communist forces. 

The NC must win the elections for democratic values and principles, he said. 

Stating that people do not necessarily vote for the same party that they had voted for in the local elections, Deuba called on all to exercise their franchise wisely to protect democracy. 

Akhanda Nepal merges with NC

POKHARA: Akhanda Nepal Party (ANP) announced its merger with the Nepali Congress on Saturday. ANP Chairman Kumar Khadka, also a former minister, said his party along with its 54 district committees had merged with the NC. Deuba and other senior NC leaders welcomed the new members. Similarly, former lawmaker of Rastriya Prajatantra Party and industrialist Surya Bahadur KC also joined the NC on Saturday. 

PM greeted with black flags

The UML-affiliated All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) waved black flags to PM Deuba in Pokhara on Saturday. Police arrested ANNFSU Kaski chairman Shekhar Gautam and district secretariat member Bishwo Darshan Parajuli for showing black flags to Deuba. The ANNFSU activists were demanding scrapping of the ninth amendment to the Education Act.