Kathmandu, August 2:

Stating that no excuses can be justified for the sake of revival of democracy, leaders of the seven-party alliance said today that both the King and the Maoists must make sacrifices for democracy. They said the King’s direct rule had failed. Vowing to continue their fight for democracy notwithstanding any hurdles, they said the King’s ‘lust’ for power and autocracy were impeding the revival of the democratic process. “We have witnessed that the King’s direct rule has failed,” a Nepali Congress leader, Ram Chandra Poudel, said at an interaction organised by the Nepal Jaycees. He suggested that the King “move along” on the roadmap drafted by the seven-party alliance. Labelling the King’s ‘autocracy’ as the major obstacle to

the democratic process, Subash Nemwang, a leader of the CPN-UML, said no problems can be resolved without democracy. “Only a joint peaceful movement can rescue the country from the current turmoil,” he said.

Stating that the King has no right to impose a direct rule, Bimalendra Nidhi of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), argued that the people would not tolerate such a rule for long. Stating

that the alliance would have no problem if the King and the Maoists embraced the democratic process, he, however, hastened to add that going for elections to the constituent assembly would be the best possible option. However, Bhuwan Pathak, a leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), called on the parties to work with the King for a reconciliation. Lambasting the parties for trying to forge a working alliance with the Maoists, he said the agitating parties had invited the current crisis by being self-centred during the past 12 years.

Stating that there is no military solution to the crisis, general secretary of the Nepal

Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), Hridayesh Tripathi, said elections to the constituent

assembly was the best possible solution. “The alliance must hold talks with the Maoists,” he said.

Ex-FM Thapa stresses talks

KATHMANDU: A former foreign minister, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, said on Tuesday that Nepal seems to be at a loss in the international arena because of the current situation. Thapa said dialogue is the best way to put an end to the present crisis. Stating that Nepalis cannot take the goodwill of the international forces for granted, he said the international concern about Nepal’s situation should be “used properly.” He, however, said nobody should work in a way that adversely affects Nepal’s integrity. — HNS