Biratnagar, December 3:

Nepali Congress central committee member Dr Shekhar Koirala today urged the government to offer the Maoists a special poll package and include them in the government again. He also called for the integration of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into the Nepali Army.

Speaking at a programme on the new challenges facing trade unions, he said that the government had failed to keep its side of the bargain with the Maoists, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and the Adivasi Mahasangh. The government had assured to meet legitimate demands of these groups, but has not done anything in this regard, Koirala said.

Though the government had promised to pay monthly stipends to the Maoist People’s Liberation Army soldiers, the latter had not been paid for five months, Koirala said. “The agreements made with the MJF and Mahasangh, too, are yet to be implemented.”

Because of this attitude on the part of the government, it will be difficult to hold the constituent assembly polls, he said.

“The Maoists are demanding a special poll package because they are afraid of the electorate. Though their demands for fully proportional polls and a republic have been met, they are unlikely to go for the polls.”

Koirala also urged the government to speed up the pace of reconstruction and concede legitimate demands of Adivasis, Dalits, Janajatis and women. He reiterated that no amount of leftist-party unity will effect a change in the government. “The government will change only when the NC wants,” he said.