NC will go for Assembly, says Paudel

No quarter to King: Nepal • Mass shouts anti-Deuba slogans

Kathmandu, May 16:

Nepali Congress will soon go for a republican set-up because this is the demand of the people and “we honour it,” NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel said today.

He was addressing a mass meeting at Kirtipur.

Paudel also warned people to be aware of the reactionary forces who are busy conspiring “to foil” the achievements of the people’s movement.

“As long as UML is a part of the seven-party alliance, it will not let monarchy be active,” CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said, adding, when UML realises it would be difficult to go for a democratic republic by being a part of the seven-party alliance, we will be on the streets to support your voice.

He said amendment of the present constitution could be counter-productive so an interim constitution should be drafted to go for a constituent assembly.

He also requested the Maoists to come for talks at the earliest .

“We are aware that some element could be active to retain the king’s post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army,” he added.

Vice-chairman of Janamorcha Nepal Lila Mani Pokhrel said that his party is on the way to uproot the monarchy, as it is the mandate of the people.

Clarifying what Nepali Congress-Democratic president Sher Bahadur Deuba said during the seven-party alliance meeting, he said, “We came to conclusion that the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Royal Nepalese Army should go only to an elected head of the government and not to the King. But Deuba wanted to add that the person holding the post should not be wearing any military uniform, indicating that the King still can remain the Supreme Commander-in-Chief without uniform.”

“We protested against Deuba’s intention of making a head of the state a Supreme Commander-in-Chief again”, he added.

Leader of Civil Society Movement, Krishna Pahadi, said the constituent assembly would wipe out both crime and crown The mass gathered at the programme chanted slogans against NC-D chief Deuba.