KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala today stated that if the present political deadlock continues further, Nepal would soon slip into the ranks of the failed state.

Highlighting that the country was on the verge of a prolonged political crisis, Koirala cautioned the Maoists, urging the latter to become more sensitive and come for talks to sort out their demands.

To avert the impeding crisis, Koirala urged the Maoists to help the government in drafting of the new constitution and bringing the peace process to its logical end.

Addressing a felicitation programme organised by the National Development and Felicitation Centre-Nepal, Koirla urged the Maoist for a consensus.

"I would like to request them (referring to Maoists) to create a friendlier environment for passing the budget as soon as possible," appealed Minister Koirala.

"The attack over cadres of Nepali Congress (NC) is unacceptable in a democratic system," stated Koirala, threatening to follow a tit-for-tat policy if the Maoists did not stop attacking the party cadres.

She also charged that the Maoists were violating the peace accord, which she said had been achieved dearly at the behest of party president Girija Prasad Koirala.

“Party president Girija Prasad Koirala had struggled a lot to bring them to peace talk,” she said.

Meanwhile, she also highlighted the role of education in nation building.

She said that the government has declared various types of vocational training and education for the sustainable development of the country and injected more budget for education.

The felicitation programme was organised on the occasion of National Education Day.

On the occasion, 14 educationalists were felicitated for their contribution in education field.

Speaking on the occasion, Ishwor Prasad Sapkota, coordinator of the programme, urged the government to stop what he described as 'brain-drain' from the country.