Kathmandu, June 19: Demanding King Gyanendra to hand over power and state authority to the people, Nepal's major political parties today announced a new joint programme for "return of democracy". The two-week programme will include demand for convening the House of Representatives, a signature campaign for making public the property of late King Birendra and boycott of all government programmes, a joint statement from the parties said.

"As holding parliamentary election is not possible in the present circumstances the only way out is either to reinstate the House of Representatives or to form another government consulting with the five major parties that represent the House," Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (UML) told reporters.

The five agitating parties -- Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Janamorcha Nepal and Nepal Sadbhavna Party said the programme will be launched Tuesday next.

"The central agenda of the agitation is returning power to the people and the parties will continue their struggle unless the king hands over power to the people in the real sense, the CPN-UML leader said.

Nepal ruled out the possibility of his party joining the Surya Bahadur Thapa government, which according to him was appointed in an "undemocratic and unconstitutional way."

Bureau Report