Political solution should get priority, says Bijukchhe

Bhaktapur, October 22:

President of the Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP), Narayan Man Bijukchhe, said today that a political solution should be the topmost priority to solve the present crisis facing the nation.

Addressing a face-to-face programme organised by the Bhaktapur branch of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Bijukchhe said a political solution is equally essential for the management of Maoists’ arms and “the seven parties are working on it”.

He made it clear that the seven parties and the Maoists are yet to reach a consensus on interim parliament, arms management and the fate of monarchy.

One of the key leaders of the seven-party alliance, Bijukchhe, also said that the fate of monarchy should be finalised through a referendum during an election to a constituent assembly.

“The Maoists’ army should be merged with the Nepali Army and police forces according to their skills in the manner the rebel army were merged after the success of the people’s movement in 1951. This would be the best option to solve the current problems the country is facing,” he said.

He said the Maoists have not ceased activities like extortion and abduction just because of the delay in political solution of the nation’s problems. “Once the nation gets a political solution all such activities will stop,” he said.

Bijukchhe further said that the political parties are worried that the Maoists would win election with the help of weapons.

He said “a socialist republican set up” is essential for the lasting welfare of the Nepali people. “The socialist republican set up is necessary for the socialisation of the means of production, guarantee of work and food to all and equal opportunity for personality development among others that cannot be achieved through a capitalist republic,” he said.

Bijukchhe said the Nepalis are capable to solve their problems themselves and there should not be any foreign intervention in the ongoing peace process.

Talking about Bhutanese refugees, he said that the key to a solution to the refugee problem is with New Delhi. “If New Delhi wants, the problem will be resolved in no time,” he added.