Kathmandu, May 5:

Deputy commander of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Barsaman Pun alias Ananta, today warned that people would declare Nepal a republic from the street if the Parliament fails to do so.

“Though this process will be difficult and challenging, the parties advocating for republic will form a front that will lead the country towards new polarisation,” he said.

He said that the constituent assembly election has now become a distant dream and that there is a need of a new unity among political parties with a new political agenda. “When there cannot be CA polls, and the Parliament fails to declare the country a republic, we too are not bound to stay in cantonments or continue to stick to our previous agreements,” he warned at a programme organised by the Media Mission Nepal.

Accusing the seven-party alliance (SPA) of supporting ceremonial monarchy, Ananta said that the seven parties have made an agreement to accept ceremonial monarchy. He asked the Nepali Congress to make its stance clear on monarchy to put an end to the current political impasse.

CPN-UML leader Shanker Pokhrel suggested that the eight parties take a one-point decision on monarchy. “If this does not happen, CA polls cannot take place,” Pokhrel said. He also pointed out the necessity of increasing the number of police force since the present number of policemen “would not be sufficient” to provide security to the people.

CP Mainali of the United Left Front asked the Maoist leadership whether they had “nexus” with the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum since both the parties “are destroying statues of prominent historical figures”.