Maoists asks Nepal Govt to announce poll date amid protests

The Maoist party of Nepal today said that an atmosphere conducive for conducting elections in the country would be created once the poll date is announced, amid calls by fringe parties to boycott the process.
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota stressed on the need to announce election date�at the earliest, at a meeting at the party headquarters here today.
"Political parties have begun concentrating on elections, distribution of voter identity card and the registration of parties at the election commission. But, the election date is yet to be announced," said Sapkota.
The former Communication Minister said that his party chairman Prachanda has initiated talks with different political parties, including the dissenting CPN-Maoist, a breakaway faction of UCPN-M and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Nepal, to bring them on board the political process.

Sapkota claimed that those who avoid the election would be sidelined in the political history of the country.
Political parties have tentatively agreed to conduct the elections in November.
Meanwhile, a group of fringe parties led by CPN-Maoist has announced a two-week long nationwide protests starting from May 15 as they rejected offers to talk with the government, the president and the High Level Political Committee, a body formed by the four major parties to guide the election government.
In a meeting yesterday, they decided to further intensify the protests and appeal to boycott polls to be conducted under the Chief Justice of Nepal Khil Raj Regmi-led election government.