Kathmandu, June 30

Coordinator of Naya Shakti Nepal Baburam Bhattarai said his party was ready to take part in polls, but the government should restructure the local bodies and provinces as per the spirit of the constitution first and address the agitation launched by Madhesi and Tharu forces against the constitution.

Speaking at an interaction with the media here today, Bhattarai said the mandate given to the newly formed commission to restructure local bodies was not enough; and if the polls were held without addressing some key questions that could weaken federalism.

“I am of the view that the government should restructure the federal units in the right way and it should hold all three kinds of elections general election, provincial elections and local polls — together to save country’s resources,” he said, adding that holding local polls under the same old structure would not serve the purpose.

Bhattarai said his party was an alternative force in terms of both political ideology and the style of party functioning.

He said his party was an alternative to both the schools of thought  neo liberalism and state controlled socialism as both these systems had failed to address people’s problems.

Bhattarai said his party would also promote eastern knowledge, particularly yoga among party cadres and the public to help them attain spiritual happiness. “We treat all the costumes of the country including Daura Suruwal, Dhoti and Bakkhu equally.

People are free to choose the costume of their choice,” he said when asked if he preferred Daura Suruwal over other costumes. Bhattarai also said that party cadres and leaders were free to use Lal Salam, Namaskar, Ram Ram or any other greetings.

Unlike other political parties, he said, the NSN will elect its party chief directly through voting. He said his party would also require its candidate for executive chief to get endorsement of party cadres.

Bhattarai said the party would have a permanent election body within its structure to conduct elections. Unlike other political parties, he added, “We want to provide autonomy to lower bodies and sister organisations to prevent monopoly of the party leadership.” He said the party would hire experts and full time professionals to run the secretariat.

Bhattarai said the party would also form a Discipline Committee to look into matters of discipline and would also have a Lokpal to investigate allegations of bad conduct within the party.

When asked how his party viewed the CPN-Maoist Centre, Bhattarai said his party had no enmity with any individual or political parties. “Our only enemy is wrong tendency and backwardness,” he said and added that the party would pursue economic development and prosperity.

Bhattarai said his party would raise people’s issues, including the plight of quake victims, demands of Madhesis, Tharus and the ordinary citizens’ concerns about price hike, and utility problems.

Meanwhile an extended meeting of the party’s secretariat named Ram Chandra Jha, Durga Sob and Mahesh Karmocha as joint coordinators of the NSN.

The party named coordinators of 30 newly formed departments and chiefs of provincial units and sister wings. According to a press release issued by the party on the occasion, Bhattarai will head the Political Committee of the party.

Similarly, Parshuram Tamang was named coordinator of Discipline Commission, Mumaram Khanal coordinator of Political Dialogue Commission and Devendra Paudel , coordinator of Organisation Department.