the need for a new constitution through consensus, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday said his party will not abandon the statute writing process.
“Allegations that the Maoist party has run away from the constitution writing process are baseless,” Dahal said at a function organised to inaugurate the B&C Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Birtamod, Jhapa.

Dahal asserted that his party will not backtrack on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that laid the foundation for writing the new constitution through the Constituent Assembly.

The opposition leader also accused that the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had reneged on past agreements.

“We have gone to the people as the ruling parties tried to sideline us,” he said, adding that his party wants all the stakeholders to have a sense of ownership of the new national charter.

Stating that it is up to the government to create an environment for talks, Dahal said he would initiate discussion with the NC and the UML from Tuesday.