Dhankuta, July 10:

Senior Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa, ‘Badal’, today said his party cannot unite with the CPN-UML in the present context.

Addressing a press conference organised here by the Dhankuta chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Badal said: “Since the Maoists and the CPN-UML have different experiences, they will clash if united.”

“Though a republican front of the leftist forces may be possible, chances of our party uniting with the CPN-UML are very slim,” he said.

“Short-term and narrow mind-set is the cause of the division among the communists,” he added.

Stating that there is every chance that a military coup may happen again, Badal accused royalists and regressive forces of hatching conspiracies to scuttle the constituent assembly (CA) polls.

Saying that the double standard of the Nepali Congress is a hindrance to the establishment of a republic, he said: “The parliament should announce the country a republic with agreement of the eight political parties.”

Stating that there are chances that Maoists might join the rightists, Badal accused “various forces” of actively working to foil the Maoists’ every efforts.

Saying that the demands being raised by the dalits, women, janajatis and the Madhesi people are genuine, he said all problems will be solved once the country becomes a federal republic.