Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 24:

A dozen youth leaders of various political parties today stressed the need for ‘ideological clarity’ on the part of the democratic forces fighting for the restoration of democracy. The leaders said a majority of the youths associated with various political parties was putting pressure on their respective leadership to adopt a ‘radical stance’ on monarchy and its relevance. They said the monarchy and the Maoists were idologically clear about their goal, while the seven agitating parties were yet to “ideologically reorganise vis-à-vis the monarchy and the Maoists”. They also made it clear that people’s movement would not gain the desired-level of momentum unless the parties went through a process of democratisation within themselves. Addressing a talks programme at the Reporters’ Club, CPN-UML central committee member Shankar Pokharel said the agitating parties would not be able to attract people in their movement unless they clarified the goal of their movement.

“But what is clear is that the agitating parties have psychologically emerged victorious as they have been able to isolate the monarchy,” Pokharel said. He said the monarchy was the main obstacle for peace, democracy and progressive reforms. Former general secretary of Nepal Student Union, Chandra Bhandari, said the monarchy, which ruled the country for 235 years, and the Maoists were more guilty than the political parties who were in power only for 12 years. He also said the 1990 constitution made a big mistake by making “alterable things unalterable”. Former general secretary of All Nepal National Free Student Union, Ghanashyam

Bhusal, said democracy could not become sustainable in developing countries like Nepal without persuing the “agenda of socialism”. NP Saud, former president of NSU, was of the view that the new generation was in favour of making monarchy a “ceremonial” institution, that too, with the consent of the people. Contrary to what the youth leaders of the agitating parties said, central leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Bhuvan Pathak claimed that a majority of the youth still believed in constitutional monarchy. He also accused the parties of being internally undemocratic though they talked about democracy when they were out of power.