Nawalparasi, Apr. 7

Nepali Congress (NC) leaders Saturday stressed that the party would never compromise with any forces on the democratic system to be established through the new constitution.

Speaking at various programmes, they stressed that the NC had given the first priority to conclude the peace process before concluding the constitution writing.

NC president Sushil Koirala said that the NC would never compromise with any forces in drafting the democratic constitution.

Speaking at an interaction organised by Nepal Press Union, Nawalparasi Chapter, Koirala said that the government should conclude the peace process within five days to intensify the constitution writing process.

He said that the Maoists were obstructing the formation of a national unity government and demanded conclusion of the peace process within the Apr.il 12 deadline.

He said that the NC was not ready to extend the Constituent Assembly tenure and added that the Maoists should be responsible if the tasks of peace and constitution writing failed.

The NC chief said that the new federal system would be established on the basis of identity and capability.

"NC will not accept only the identity-based federal system," he said.

He said that the NC was against one Madhes, one province system in the name of a federal system.

He demanded the government take action against the criminals who were involved in the murder of journalist Yadav Poudel in Jhapa district.

On the occasion, Koirala honoured journalists Dharmendra Jha and R.P. Upadhya by Surya Bhakta Patanadevi Memorial Award carrying Rs. 35,000 in cash prize.

Meanwhile, Koirala also addressed a mass meeting of NC in Nawalparasi and stressed that all parties should unite to conclude the peace and constitution drafting processes.

On the occasion, NC leaders Krishna Chandra Nepali, Man Bahadur Bishokarma and Ram Krishna Yadav said that the NC would not be ready to compromise with any forces regarding the promulgation of the new constitution.

Meanwhile, NC leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that the new constitution would be drafted after concluding the peace process.

Speaking at an interaction organised by Tanahu chapter of Nepal Press Union, he said that the Maoists should end the politics of weapons to conclude the peace process.

He said that the NC wanted six provinces in the country based on identity and capability.

Likewise, NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi said that the Maoists were creating obstruction to conclude the peace process.

Talking with ordinary people in Surkhet, Nidhi said that the new constitution would not be drafted without concluding the peace process.

He said that the Maoists should give up the politics of anarchism to institutionalize the democracy and added that an anarchist constitution would not be drafted in the country.

He urged the Maoists to support drafting of a democratic constitution through a consensus politics.

NC leader Dhan Raj Gurung said that the Maoists should change their behaviour to conclude the constitution writing process.

He said that the Maoist should play a constructive role as a big party to resolve the disputed issues of peace and constitution.