CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has stated that the UML is not a party that runs away from elections.
Speaking at an event organized by Press Chautari Nepal, Pokharel said that the CPN-UML has never avoided elections in the past and will not do so in the future. “Let me be clear — the CPN-UML is not a party that escapes elections. It is unimaginable for the people’s leading party to detach itself from public mandate. But saying we’ll contest even in impossible elections sounds childish,” he remarked.
Pokharel emphasized that UML remains the people’s first choice and that separating from the people’s mandate is beyond imagination.
He criticized the current government, stating that it must first pass a constitutional test before talking about elections. “The very government that should conduct elections is under constitutional scrutiny. We don’t even know what the Supreme Court’s decision will be, and that decision will determine the path ahead,” Pokharel said.
He also noted that the current situation lacks the peace and security required for holding elections, claiming that neither citizens nor political parties are in an environment conducive to participating in one.
Commenting on the ongoing Gen Z movement, Pokharel described it as a sudden and unnatural upheaval like an “unexpected earthquake.”
“The peace and security situation is not ensured,” he added. “From the perspective of whether citizens can safely participate and political parties can engage in the election process, it does not appear that this government is on the path toward elections.”
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