Pokhara, May 13:

Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma, today accused “national and international forces” of plotting to break the unity of the eight political parties.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the Kaski chapter of the Revolutionary Journalists’ Group here, he said, “The unity of the eight parties would not break until the constituent assembly (CA) elections.”

Blaming the Nepali Congress for the CA poll delay, he stressed the need for announcing the state a republic from the parliament and fix the date for the polls.

Confusion over the CA polls has resulted in malfunctioning of the interim government, even after one-and-a-half months of its formation, he said. Saying that king Gyanendra is creating terror to disrupt the CA polls, he stressed the need of unity of leftist forces for the establishment of a republic.

Bishwokarma also inaugurated the first district conference of the Nepal National Staffers’ Association here today.