Pokhara, January 11

Former prime minister and senior leader of the CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal today said that the people were compelled to face hard times as the government had failed to supply daily essentials for long.

Addressing his party cadres in Pokhara today, Khanal accused the government of failing to make available daily essentials as a result of which black-marketing had become rampant. “The government has not been able to curb this either.

Hence, the prices of every day commodities have sky-rocketed. Black-marketeers are charging three times the cost of petrol and cooking gas, but the government has remained mum,” he argued.

“The government has failed to maintain peace and order in the country. Neither has it been running day-to-day work efficiently.

It has not been able to control violent activities in the plains in the name of protest. Security personnel have been safeguarding the agitators,” he argued.

Khanal also said that the blockade from the third day of the promulgation of the new constitution was against international law.

He also underscored the need to open all borders with China and minimise dependency on others.

Khanal said the government needed to take the main opposition on board for unification of parties in order to implement the constitution.

He said that the number of provinces should be minimised to five from the proposed seven province model.

Khanal ruled out the possibility of one-Madhes-one-Pradesh structure. “Nepal is a country with multi ethnic groups but not with multi-nationalities.

Hence, it is not feasible,” he said. He also claimed that the constitution was the most progressive in the world.