Kathmandu, October 10:

Senior Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa, alias Badal, said today that the country would meet a “serious political disaster” if the special session of the interim legislature-parliament beginning tomorrow did not declare the country a federal democratic republic and adopt the principle of proportional representation system of election for the constituent assembly.

“We discussed the issues of a republic and PR system at Baluwatar (Prime Minister’s officials residence) for five days. Failure of the talks among the seven parties on the two key issues led to an indefinite deferral of the scheduled election. If the interim parliament fails to find solution to those issues, the country will plunge into a constitutional crisis,” Thapa said at an interaction programme held at the Reporters’ Club.

He admitted that his party made a mistake by agreeing on the mixed-election system while reaching the November 8 agreement. “We also request other political parties not to take wrong stance,” Thapa, who is said to have emerged as a powerful leader following the party’s fifth plenum held in August, said, asking the Nepali Congress to “reconsider” its stance on the mixed-election and republic.

He claimed that the PR is the most scientific election system to get representation of women, Dalits, ethnic communities, Madhesis and marginalised groups. He warned that a constitutional crisis would arise if his party did not participate in assembly election. He said the Maoists would go to the people with the issues of federal democratic republic, PR system of election, national roundtable conference, without breaking understanding of the seven parties, comprehensive peace accord and ceasefire. He said their stir will remain peaceful.

He said the country’s sovereignty and nationalism was under threat due to conspiracies of the feudal forces.