Kathmandu, December 11:

Chief of Rastriya Janashkati Party and former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa joined hands with president of the Nepali Congres Girija Prasad Koirala to form a broader democratic alliance.

In an interaction programme organised here today, Thapa said the BDA was necessary to contain the grand design of the Maoists’, saying that Koiiralas call for the BDA was timely and relevant.

Thapa said the refusal of the Maoists to follow a multi party system and western democracy and their reluctancy to speak on the system they wanted to establish in the country was a matter of great concern. He blamed the Maoist of meddling with the judiciary and bureaucracy while violating human rights and press freedom.

“These are the tenets of democracy and if the Maoists disregard such issues, it will be proven that they are on the path of dictatorship,” Thapa read out from a written statement. He also urged all the democratic forces to unite under the umbrella of BDA saying that, “Any party claiming to be democratic can join the alliance.”

He also added that liberal democracy should be safeguarded at any rate.

On the issue of army integration, he said the political independence and professionalism of the national army should be kept intact criticizing the Maoists’ intent of group integration of the Maoist army into the National army, .

Thapa also criticised the Maoists for threatening to quit the government.