No polls unless Maoists' demands met: Prachanda

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200712022241.htm

Kathmandu (PTI): Nepal Maoists chairman Prachanda has said his party would not agree to the holding of the crucial Constituent Assembly polls unless its demands for a new political and electoral systems along with the reconstitution of the government were met.

Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-Maoists) would only agree to the holding of the Constituent Assembly elections if its demands for declaring Nepal a republic through the parliament, reconstitution of the government, and a round table conference for adopting a fully proportional electoral system are met.

Addressing a training camp of Maoist cadres in Nepal's industrial district of Biratnagar on Saturday, the CPN-Maoists leader said his party would not go for the elections unless the demands put forth by the party were met.

"The cabinet would (have to) be reshuffled on the basis of a political agreement and there has been no equal power sharing among the major parties," Prachanda was quoted as saying by the Kantipur online.

According to the Maoists sources, Prachanda also put forth other demands including the reintegration of their combatants into the national army and financial compensation to the families of the Maoist martyrs.

The Maoists chief said the declaration of a republic by the interim parliament would create the "right environment" for the polls that has been twice postponed due to deadlock between former rebels and the political parties in the coalition government.

Over a thousand Maoist cadres from Jhapa, Sunsari and Morang districts participated in the training, the report said.