SPA doesn’t want Maoists in govt: Gajurel

Kathmandu, March 3:

Leader of CPN-Maoist CP Gajurel today urged the government to hold elections to the constituent assembly without including the Maoists in the government, if it is unwilling to include them in the cabinet.

“It is now clear that the seven-party alliance is not in a mood to include us (the Maoists) in the government. We would like to urge the government to fix the date for the elections and hold them in a peaceful and impartial manner. We would thank them and be happy to take part in the elections,” he said at the Reporters’ Club.

“The seven party leaders now and then say they are eager to see us in the government, but they are making plans to avoid us. On top of it, they criticise us, saying we are the problem,” he said, adding, “If the leaders have already made up their mind to exclude us, they must terminate the old accord and make a new accord, which does not promise to make us a part of the interim government”.

He added that the government first would have to declare a republic from the legislature-parliament before doing so. In response to the allegation of the government and political parties that the Maoists are breaching the peace accord, he said it is the leaders of the seven-party alliance and the government, which are doing so.

“The government is violating the peace accord by bypassing the Maoist force and not inducting it it into the government as per the comprehensive peace accord. It is ironical that they are accusing us of violating the peace accord,” he said.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Pradip Gyawali urged all not to create an environment which will delay constituent assembly elections. “Delay in holding the elections may invite unattended disaster in Nepal’s politics,” he said.

According to him, formation of the interim government many not take more than a week or two. NC-D leader Dr Minendra Rijal said the delay in the process of making the interim government and holding the elections is obviously worrisome.

“It would be nice if the things went as per the datelines of the peace accord but one need not be frustrated looking at the present pace of development. All we need is to believe in ourselves and our leaders’ commitment,” he said.

Gajurel’s challenge

Kathmandu: CPN-Maoist leader CP Gajurel on Saturday challenged the government to seize the arms possessed by Maoist cadres. “I was surprised to read that the culture minister has ordered his activists to seize our arms. Let’s see how they do it,” he told journalists at the Reporters’ Club. Addressing a programme in Kabhre on Thursday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Pradip Gyawali had directed the CPN-UML cadres to seize Maoists’ weapons and hand them over to the government. Minister Gyawali, who was also at the Reporters’ Club, however, said, “The government, as per the comprehensive peace accord, is bound to declare the arms spotted outside the cantonments illegal.” He said the government is doing a cross-check on how many of the arms were looted by the Maoists during the insurgency and how many were retrieved in the arms registration process. — HNS