Kathmandu, November 7:

A meeting of the Joint Revolutionary People’s Council today decided to hold nationwide rallies on November 18 to pile pressure on the government to implement the interim parliament’s decisions to declare the country a republic and adopt a fully proportional electoral system.

The interim parliament on Sunday passed with a simple majority proposals that called

for the declaration of a republic and adoption of a fully proportional electoral system. A

two-thirds majority of the House is required to implement the parliamentary decision and that

is not possible without the support of Nepali Congress, which has 131 members in the 330-member parliament.

The regular winter session of the parliament is scheduled to take place on November 19.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai, also

decided that the Maoist-affiliated ethnic fronts could also independently organise such rallies at the local level.

Dr Bhattrai’s personal assistance Bishwodip Pandey said that a rally will also be taken out in the capital and it will be addressed by top leaders.