Kathmandu, May 13:

The CPN-Maoist’s central command today handed over a heap of white cloths containing signatures of about 1.5 million people, who want a republic and the announcement of a date for holding constituent assembly elections, to Speaker Subhas Chandra Nembang at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar.

Chief of the party’s central command Barsha Man Pun, aka Ananta, said the signatures were collected over a period of one month from eight districts of the Bagmati Zone, Makwanpur and Chitwan of the Narayani Zone and Dolakha district of the Janakpur Zone.

Handing over the cloths, Pun said the people’s signatures were a true expression of their desire for a republic to be declared from the House. He said 15,50,000 signatures have been collected from 11 districts.

“We collected the signatures for a republic after the government failed to hold CA polls on time,” Pun said.

He expressed hope that the parliament would declare the country a republic and announce the date for holding assembly polls as the French and the British parliaments had done long ago.

Receiving the cloths, Nembang said he would draw the attention of the parliament, leaders of the eight parties and the government towards the people’s aspirations expressed through the signatures.

“Our legitimacy will remain valid as long as we continue to fulfil people’s aspirations,” Nembang said.

Earlier today, thousands of people built a human chain surrounding Singha Durbar along with the signature cloths in their hands. They encircled the Parliament House from Bhotahiti, Bagbazaar, Dillibazaar-Pipalbot, Dhobikhola, Bijulibazaar, Babar Mahal, Maitighar Mandala, Thapathali, Tripureshwor and Sundhara.

After handing over the signatures, the mass converged into a rally in front of Padmodaya High School at Putali Sadak. Addressing the rally, Maoist leader CP Gajurel said the CA polls would be possible only after the country was declared a republic. “If the country is not declared a republic through the parliament, the people themselves will declare it through the streets and will capture the Singha Durbar and Narayanhiti Durbar,” Gajurel said.