Pokhara, May 29:

Member of the Maoist talks team and Central leader of CPN-Maoist, Dev Gurung, today said election for a constitution assembly should be held after forming an interim government with the involvement of Maoists after organising a larger political conference by dissolving the House of Representatives.

Addressing a mass meet organised by the Maoist Kaski District Committee in Pokhara today, Gurung said, the government should take the responsibility if regressive forces are again established in the name of ceremonial king.

Saying that there should be an end to monarchy for the establishment of loktantra, Gurung said: “The peoples’ movement has opened to bring the monarchy to an end.”

He argued that revival of local body would force Maoists to return to war.

“Time has changed and the 12-point pact between the seven party alliance and the Maoists has not been able to establish full democracy; so there is a need to form a wider republican front,” Gurung said.

Maoist central member Janardan Sharma, Pravakar, said, because royal family is the major enemy of Nepali people actions should be taken against the family and chief of the army.

He said, the Maoist army is ready to struggle for the right of Nepali people and that weapons would be managed as per the peoples’ mandate.

“Our weapons should not be a problem for a constituent assembly but for those who favor monarchy. The Nepali Army is an obstruction to peace,” Pravakar said.

Maoist central member, Pampha Bhusal, said the act of reviving the local body is a move to initiate counter-revolution.

Armed Maoists attend mass meet

Itahari: Armed Maoist cadres dressed in military combats gathered and exhibited their military tactics in Prakashpur of Sunsari on Monday to express their dissatisfaction against the 25-point ceasefire code of conduct. Maoists had gathered to take part in the ‘republican people’s meet’ organised by the Maoists’ no 3 area unit at the Madan Memorial Chautaro in Prakashpur – 8.

This exhibition of arms and military tactics violates the second clause of the ceasefire code of conduct.

“Armed Maoists have been living and moving in and around Prakashpur from the past three days,” a local teacher told The Himalayan Times. Even the Maoists agreed that some 500 members of the Peoples’ Liberation Army had gathered in the mass meeting with their weapons. Brigadier Dhiren of the Biplab Srijung Memorial Brigade was the chief guest in the people’s meet.

A human rights activist said Maoists’ presence in Prakashpur bazaar has created terror among people. “They are fed up because a large number of Maoists visit their homes and ask for food and shelter,” he said. — HNS