Nepalgunj, November 26:

Standing Committee member of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Yubraj Gyawali, today said autocratic monarchy can be rooted out through a peaceful peoples’ movement. Gyawali, who is also the mid-western region chief of the party said thousands of people will be brought to the streets on December 25 demanding formation of a democratic republic and restoration of peace. “The only means to establish democracy and lasting peace in the country is through a peaceful movement,” he said. According to him, political parties have been successful in bringing the Maoists in the peace process and that the King, too, will have to yeild to the pressure.

Urging the Maoists to extend the period of ceasefire, he said: “We have been urging the Maoists to continue their ceasefire; this is also what people want.” Addressing a press conference held to make public the decisions made by the UML’s Bheri zonal committee, Gyawali said the parties and the Maoists would protest the autocracy in their own ways.

Stating that agreement and alliance are two different things, he said people should not take the Maoist-parties understanding as an alliance. “This agreement must be taken as an important opportunity to establish peace and democracy in the country.”

He added that until the Maoists join the peaceful movement and give up arms, there would be no alliance with them. “Until the King accepts an interim regime and constituent assembly, we won’t hold any dialogues with him,” he said. Stating that the parties are well aware and cautious of plans being made by supporters of autocratic monarchy to thwart the peoples’ movement, Gyawali said their efforts failed miserably in Pokhara and Butwal. Addressing the press conference, central committee member and Bheri zonal in-charge, Govinda Prasad Koirala, urged the people to participate in the mass meeting on December 25. He said the Nepali people, themselves, must bring up a powerful movement to bring back peace and democracy.