The CPN (Maoist) has reiterated its demand for immediate dissolution of the House of Representatives and the present government and formation of an interim government.

In a press statement Monday, Maoist second man Dr Baburam Bhattrai, who heads the United Revolutionary People’s Council (URPC), said all the powers should be handed over to the ‘Broad National Political Conference’, which will comprise of various political sections, after the dissolution the present government and the parliament. He said the existing constitution should be replaced by an interim constitution.

A recent meeting of the Broad National Political Conference Organising Committee under the URPC, in which Maoist supremo Prachanda was also present, came to the conclusion that institutionalisation of democratic republicanism and progressive restructuring of the state are the immediate tasks to be accomplished as per the mandate of the recent popular uprising and the 12-point understanding between the Maoists and the seven parties, the statement further said.

The meeting also agreed that free and fair election to the constituent assembly is necessary to institutionalise democratic republicanism and stressed that there should be guarantee of restructuring of the army, right to ethnic and regional self-decision, self-governance, equal rights to women and Dalits and revolutionary land reform.

The meeting also passed a slogan “Hand over all powers to the Broad National Political Conference”, the statement said, adding that there should be an interim government, interim constitution and interim representative body in view of the ground reality.

Bhattrai is the coordinator of the Broad National Political Conference Organising Committee, which was formed by the Maoist party’s convention last year.

The latest Maoist statement comes at a time when the leaders of the seven parties have been ruling out early dissolution of the House as well as formation of an interim government.

The Nepal Government and the Maoists signed a 25-point ceasefire code of conduct after negotiations between their talks teams in Kathmandu on Friday. Both sides have said negotiations on other agendas will start soon.