Polls must be held within 11 months to avoid crisis in Nepal

By Shirish B PradhannnKATHMANDU:Nepal will plunge into a severe crisis in case of a failure to hold all three levels of elections within next 11 months, Prime Minister Prachanda said today as the country’s Maoist cadres observed the 22nd ‘People’s War Day’.nnPrachanda, Chairman of CPN (Maoist Centre), said the achievements made through the Maoist “people’s war” would not be allowed to go in vain at any cost.nn”Achievements from the people’s war will not be allowed to go waste. And we must be ready to make another sacrifice if need be to safeguard them,” he said, speaking at a programme organised at CPN (Maoist Centre) party office on the occasion.nnThe Prime Minister also stressed the need for holding all three levels of elections within the next 11 months to protect the achievements gained from the revolt and the new Constitution.nn”Our country will fall into a severe crisis if it does not happen so,” he said.nnDescribing the Constitution as a dynamic document which could be amended with time, he said the government was preparing to move ahead while protecting the rights of all.nnHe said the Maoist war was a “historical movement” to unite hill, mountain and Tarai while sharing that people from all three parts of the country had contributed equally in the insurgency.nnDahal expressed confidence that all Maoist parties will be united by next year.nnMore than 16,000 people lost their lives during the decade-long Maoist insurgency against monarchy that ended in 2006 through a peace deal with the then government.nnMeanwhile, senior leader of Nepali Congress and former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh said the democratic system could not function without proper implementation of the new Constitution that was promulgated in September 2015.nn”Holding timely elections are essential for the implementation of the Constitution,” he said.nn”The local body polls, which are scheduled to take place in May, should be conducted on time so that the roots of democracy would be strengthened,” he added.nnWhile Maoist cadres marked the 22nd ‘People’s War Day’, the Conflict Victims National Society observed it as a ‘black day’ and staged an hour-long sit-in protest near the southern gate of the Singha Durbar.nnDuring the sit-in programme, the victims demanded justice while criticising the government and political parties for delaying justice through transitional justice mechanisms.nnSource: Press Trust of India