They said the movement has become extremely necessary to defeat the ruling coalition´s plot to impose a totalitarian system in the country.[break]
"The country is in dire need of national unity but the ruling Maoist leaders are trying to divide the society into several communal groups," CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said at a function organized by Press Chautari Nepal on Monday. "It has become urgent to reach a political agreement to end the political deadlock but UCPN (Maoist) leaders are creating hindrance. So agitation became a compulsion to force them to agree to a political deal."
Nepali Congress leader Minendra Rijal argued that the ongoing agitation launched by the opposition parties including the NC and UML became imperative to stop the crucial democratic institutions from collapse.
"The prime minister and Maoist leaders have already rendered crucial constitutional bodies and other democratic institutions dysfunctional and they want to impose autocratic rule in the country," said Rijal at the same function. "Our movement is to establish democratic values and save democratic institutions, which are lifelines of democracy."
Also, UML Spokesman Pradeep Gyawali and CPN (Maoist) Spokeswoman Pampha Bhusal addressed the gathering.
On the occasion of its fifteenth anniversary, Press Chautari decided to award Hridayachandra Singh Pradhan Memorial Journalism Award to journalist Gopal Budhathoki, Agnisikha Memorial Award to journalist Kundan Aryal and late Birendra Sah Active Youth Journalism Award posthumously to late Dekendra Thapa.
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