UCPN Maoist warns agitation if June elections differed

KATHMANDU: The UCPN Maoist has warned to hit the streets if the Chief Justice led Interim Election Cabinet (IEC) failed to hold Constituent Assembly elections in by June.

Party’s General Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati issued such a warning while speaking at the face-to-face interaction program of Reporters Club Nepal on Wednesday in the capital.

Bogati warned that his party would agitate if the incumbent government failed to announce a election date slated for June as agreed between political parties while speaking at the program presided by Reporters Club Nepal’s president Rishi Dhamala.

He expressed doubts of a conspiracy being brewed after the delay made in announcing the dates of the CA elections even after the formation of the electoral government and fulfilling vacancies at the Election Commission.

” The incumbent cabinet and election commissioners had take oath of office and secrecy with a commitment to hold CA elections in June. But presently they are dilly-dallying from that commitment,” Bogati said adding that his party has already warned IEC chairman Khilaraj Regmi of protest if the latter failed to keep his promise.

Furthermore Bogati challenged the IEC and Election Commission to come forward with reasons that rule out CA elections in June.

Responding to Bogati’s claim, CPN UML leader Bhim Rawal said that Bogati’s outrage represented the frustration of his party’s inability to remain in government.

He claimed that political parties had agreed to hold elections in November if the plan to hold elections in June faced technical glitches and added that UCPN Maoist threat of agitation was just a political frustration of the party.

Rawal promised CA elections in early November if plan to hold them in June sustained problems of updating electoral rolls, citizenship distribution and amending legal provisions related to CA elections.