Dhangadhi, June 29 :

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal today said the Maoists haven’t learned to have healthy political competition.

Nepal said so while inaugurating the Seti Zonal meeting of the party in Dhangadhi today. “Continuing Maoists’ acts of extortions and intimidating and threatening villagers is not healthy political competition,” said Nepal.

“The Maoists must accept the existence of other parties and must be able to convince people that they have actually given up arms, only then healthy competition is possible,” Nepal said. Stating that politics based on arms is neither permanent nor accepted by the international community, Nepal said continuing such politics would be against the sentiments of Jana Andolan-2. He added that the CPN-UML would launch another peaceful agitation if Maoists take up arms again. Nepal refuted speculations that CPN-UML’s grasp on people’s faith will loosen. “We are ready to compete with anyone, the Maoists don’t make any difference in people’s faith in our party,” he said.

Stating that the sentiment of Jana andolan-2 were Loktantra and bringing radical change, Nepal said loktantra has been achieved in the nation and that it needs to be institutionalised.

Nepal claimed that the election to a constituent assembly would be held as soon as arms management was done under supervision of the United Nations.

Stating that the next round of talks would be held soon, Nepal said the government must do homework for the third rounds of talks. Stating that regressive elements are conspiring, Nepal said election the to a constituent assembly should be held as soon as possible.