Decision on PR for polls soon: Mahara

Pokhara, December 20:

Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara said today that a decision on whether or not to go for fully proportional polls will be made in a day or two.

Speaking at a programme organised by the ANNISU-R to welcome freshers at the Prithvi Narayan Campus, Mahara said that the seven parties had reached a consensus on the issue of a republic.

Mahara said the NC was against fully proportional polls and that it was delaying the CA polls by not listening to the suggestions of six other political parties. He accused “some political parties and foreign powers” of working secretly to “keep the monarchy intact”. Claiming that the NC and UML were in favour of status quo, Mahara said the Maoists will do everything possible to hold the polls by Chaitra next after reaching a consensus. Mahara said that foreign interests will gain ground if the political parties fail to rise above petty, partisan interests.

He added that games were afoot to paint the Maoists black. Other political parties are depicting the Maoists as a force opposed to the CA polls, which is not true, he said.

Mahara accused the NC and the UML of not heeding the aspirations of the people and kowtowing to Indian and US forces. He urged the NC and the UML to stop accusing the Maoists and instead improve their performance. He said his party will do penance for all its wrongdoings.

President of the ANNISU-R Lekhnath Neupane said all left forces should unite to usher the country in the path of progress. Neupane accused the government of conniving with countries like Malaysia and Korea for commissions in the name of providing jobs to needy Nepali youths.