Birgunj, January 9:

The lingering political uncertainty in the absence of an elected government will do no good to the country, UML supremo Madhav Kumar Nepal said here today.

Speaking at the city hall here during a programme of senior party cadres, Nepal said, “A strong government will be the one which is elected, not one formed under peculiar circumstances.” Nepal added that the country cannot be run by a government which does not have the public mandate .He called for polls at the earliest. “The country needs a statute that reflects the people’s wishes,” he added.

Stating that the Maoists, after the 23-point agreement, had expressed their commitment not to put forward any more conditions, Nepal said, “All those who want the polls held will not create hurdles.

Only those who do not the CA polls will place obstacles in the way to democracy.”

He said that it was necessary to evolve consensus on what kind of a Madhes Pradesh should be formed or there would be further unrest. He also flayed the agitation by various indigenous communities, saying, “Why all this ferment over ethnicity? Are we going back to the ancient times?”

He also urged the armed groups in the Terai to give up violence and come to the dialogue table for ensuring the rights of the Madhesi people.