Kathmandu: Attacking Baburam Bhattarai for failing to take forward Nepal's floundering peace process, a senior opposition leader on Friday said the Prime Minister should step down if the upcoming "decisive talks" to discuss major irritants lead nowhere.
Bhim Rawal, Standing Committee member of the opposition
CPN-UML, said Bhattarai will have to quit on moral grounds as
he could not fulfill his commitment of concluding the peace
process within 45 days of formation of the government.
Speaking at an interaction programme in the capital
today, Rawal, also a member of the Army Integration Special
Committee, said this government will be irrelevant if the
peace process was not taken forward in time.
Rawal termed the round of talks to be held between major
political parties tomorrow on settling key issues related to
the peace process and constitution writing as "decisive" and
said an alternative government will be sought if no results
come out of it.
The discussions with the ruling UCPN-Maoist will focus on
implementing the seven-point agreement reached between the
major political parties.
"If there is no progress on the matter, then an
alternative to this government would be sought," he said.
Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak also accused the
Maoists of trying to impose their "autocratic" agenda while
drafting the constitution.
"The Maoists are violating the peace process by sticking
to their agenda," he said, referring to the stance assumed by
the Mohan Vaidya-led hardline faction of the party.
The radical segment of the Maoists have reportedly
demanded that the phrase "Peoples' War" be included in the
Preamble of the Constitution, though the party has already
agreed to use the more moderate term "armed struggle" instead.
Lekhan said the constitution would not be written until
the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants
was complete and urged the Maoists not to obstruct the statute
writing process.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 06, 2012, 22:07