Rautahat, May 20 :

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal today urged Maoist supremo Prachanda to stop collecting donations and taxes for at least a month to create an environment of trust.

Addressing the felicitation function and third city conference of the Communist Party of N (UML) Gaur, organised by the Joint Peoples’ Movement Coordination Committee (Rautahat), Nepal said: “The Maoist army would be included in the state mechanism after holding discussions and consultations on the matter”.

Nepal called on the Maoists to create a favourable environment so that people, who have been displaced due to Maoists’ activities and living in Gaur, can return home.

“The people have the right to take action against those involved in corruption, suppressing the peoples’ movement and torturing people,” Nepal said.

Referring to repeated attacks on democracy by the autocratic king, Nepal said the rights restored through people’s sacrifices would never be attacked again.

As the supremacy of the parliament has been established, the people have become sovereign, Nepal said.

The cabinet should be expanded at the earliest and talks with the Maoists held thereafter, Nepal said.

The Nepalis would decide the future of monarchy through the election to a constituent assembly. Persons injured or detained in course of the pro-democracy movement were felicitated at the function.

A report from Dhankuta quoted CPN-UML standing committee member Amrit Kumar Bohora as saying at a programme today: “Now that the House of Representatives, through the historic declaration, clipped the powers of the king, Nepali people have become the masters.” Bohora said the election to the Constituent Assembly will establish a republic in Nepal.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Shrestha, a central committee member of the CPN-UML, today

called on the government and the Maoists to stick to the 12-point parties-Maoist understanding to institutionalise the outcomes of the people’s movement, a report from Kathmandu said. Shrestha made this remark while presenting a working paper on “Constituent Assembly: Challenges and Opportunities” at a seminar organised in Kathmandu by the CPN-UML area-5 committee.

‘No bargaining’DANG: Standing committee member of the CPN-UML Bamdev Gautam said on Saturday the talks with the Maoists will not be used for bargaining but for coming out with a decision on bailing the country out of crisis. Gautam was addressing a gathering organised by the CPN-UML Dang district committee.

“The 12-point parties-Maoist understanding is the road map of the seven-party alliance. The eight parties — constituents of the seven-party alliance and the CPN (Maoist) — will make decisions on the basis of the understanding,” Gautam said, adding: “The nation will move ahead following the decisions.” — HNS