Sankhuwasabha, January 24:

CPN-UML standing committee member Pradip Nepal today said that people should not expect anything more from the current government than draft a new constitution on time.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the district chapter of the Press Chautari Nepal in Khandbari, Nepal said, “The main mandate to the government is to draft a new constitution on time.”

He said the government would not be able to draft the constitution on time if a lot was expected from it.

Addressing a gathering of party’s frontline activists, he said, “Attempts are on to render the government inactive despite its efforts to move ahead by making different agreements.”

Urging all to contribute to writing the constitution, he asked people to hold on their demands until a new constitution was drafted.

Nepal claimed that the youth wings of the political parties like the Young Communist League (YCL) and Youth Force (YF) were creating troubles for the peace process and constitution writing process and that they should be dissolved. He said the hooliganism from YCL and YF was the reason why people had not yet realised the establishment of republic.

Saying that the media had a vital role in the constitution writing process, he urged the media to warn the government against any delay in the job of the Constituent Assembly.

Nepal also criticised the mysterious silence on the part of the government about the killing of journalists.

“As the government has been unable to take action against those involved in the killing of journalist Uma Singh, it gives ample space for suspicions that the government might have a hand in the killing,” he said. “Why are the Prime Minister and Home Minister mum over the issue?” he questioned.