Kathmandu, November 8:

Standing committee member of the CPN-UML Bharat Mohan Adhikari today stressed the need for announcing a new date for constituent assembly election by the end of November so that the election could be held within mid-April 2008.

“Our party has taken the issue of constituent assembly election very seriously, as the CA alone will make a new federal democratic and republican constitution and restructure the state to address the emerging challenges,” Adhikari said at a function organised here by the CPN-UML-affiliated Kathmandu-Morang Samparka Manch to mark the Tihar festival.

Saying that the interim parliament, by holding a democratic exercise, passed two proposals for federal democratic republic and fully proportional electoral system for CA election, Adhikari thanked the Maoists for being a part of the parliamentary democracy.

“We are happy that the Maoists have come to the parliamentary process and accepted the multiparty polity,” Adhikari said, adding, “But they must also be ready to accept any decision whenever they are in minority in the parliamentary process.”

He also thanked Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for playing a neutral and positive role by not taking part in the voting that divided the parliament into two school of thoughts over the issues of a republic and an electoral system.

He also urged the PM to immediately call the meeting of the seven parties, take initiative to fix a new date for Constituent Assembly election and take measures to implement the two key decisions of the interim parliament.