Chitwan, December 3

Naya Shakti Party-Nepal Coordinator Baburam Bhattarai today underscored the need of socialist democracy in the country.

Speaking at an interaction on ‘The Role of Democratic Forces in the Upcoming Elections’ organised in Bharatpur today, Bhattarai said democracy with socialism was the need of the hour. He also clarified that socialism coined by Karl Marx was not applicable in the context of Nepal at present. “Democratic forces should stand for social welfare democratically instead of through neo-liberalism,” said Bhattarai.

He argued that the present left alliance could not work for the country’s welfare. “The forces of the left alliance are still following the communism, which is outdated. But the country should be led towards new socialist democracy. Hence, we split from the alliance,” argued Bhattarai. Stressing the need of huge people’s participation in the country’s ruling system, he said the alliance was putting the country’s democracy in peril.  Bhattarai said that the time had come for proper implementation of the statute. “Democracy is a force that protects fundamental social values,” said Bhattarai. He further said the statute and democracy can be protected only when democratic forces are elected in the polls and urged the public to cast their ballots for candidates of the democratic alliance.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress General Secretary Sashank Koirala said that people would be restricted from using their right to speech and other rights if communist forces were elected in the polls. “The upcoming elections will determine the future of people. Hence, we have to cast our ballots in favour of the democratic alliance,”

he said.

NSP-N Coordinator Bhattarai went to Chitwan today to appeal to people to cast their ballots for the democratic alliance candidate and RPP General Secretary Bikram Pandey in the parliamentary election in Chitwan Constituency No 3, from where CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal was contesting the polls from the left alliance.