Statute from the streets if CA dissolved: Bhattarai

KATHMANDU, Dec 21: UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Monday said people will declare constitution from the streets if conspiracies were hatched to impose presidential rule. [break]



Alleging that Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and other political parties were hatching conspiracies to dissolve Constituent Assembly, Dr Bhattarai argued that since the president is elected from the CA, his term will end immediately after the dissolution of the CA.



"Nobody should imagine that there will be presidential rule in the country if the constitution is not written by Jesth 14 [May 28, 2010]," said Bhattarai, who is also the coordinator of the party´s Joint People´s Movement Committee. "If the constitution is not written on time, neither the government nor the president will remain."



Bhattarai said hundreds of thousands people will then take to the streets and assume power themselves.







Addressing a corner meeting at New Baneshwar, Dr Bhattarai also asked the party cadres to be ready to take to the street if a presidential rule is imposed. He said that the Maoist will lead such movement.



He said his party will unveil fourth phase of movement if the government invited confrontation.



Dr Bhattarai also said that the Maoists were ready to immediately withdraw their protests if the government expressed commitment to address their demands. "I challenge the government to fulfill our demand for civilian supremacy if it has capacity to make decision on its own," he said.



Govt responsible for ´violent protest´: Bhattarai



Dr Bhattarai said the government is responsible for the clashes that took place in New Baneshwar on Sunday.He also praised the Maoist cadres for retaliating the police action.



At least 21 policemen including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and dozens of Maoists protestors were injured in the clash on Sunday afternoon.



"We regret the incident that took place yesterday [Sunday]," said Bhattarai. "Home Minister Bhim Rawal and Acting Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar should take responsibility for the incident."



Dr Bhattarai alleged that the government had provoked the Maoist cadres who were demonstrating peacefully. "The main persons responsible for the incident are Gachchhadar and Rawal. Both of them have criminal backgrounds. Police were incited on their orders," he alleged.



Earlier, the government had said that the Maoists were responsible for the fateful incident, arguing that the government had exercised maximum restraint.

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