Maoists for republic if Nepal polls delayed
Maoists for republic if Nepal polls delayed
Kathmandu: Nepal’s former rebels would immediately press for turning the Himalayan nation into a republic if this year’s elections for a constituent assembly are delayed, their leader Prachanda said on 13 February 2007.
Prachanda, in a rare public address in Kathmandu, said “reactionary" supporters of King Gyanendra, forced to end direct palace rule after mass protests last year, were conspiring to defer polls scheduled for June. The assembly is supposed to draft a new constitution which Maoists hope will abolish the monarchy. “If the elections are delayed beyond the deadline, we should straightaway declare Nepal a federal democratic republic," said Prachanda, who ended 25 years of underground politics after a peace process began last year.
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