KATHMANDU: Secretariat member of Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Communist Party of Nepal Dharmendra Bastola has said the country needs to hold a referendum to abolish the parliamentary system.

Claiming that the current parliamentary set up was undemocratic while talking to media in Gorkha Sunday, Bastola urged all the political forces to move beyond the parliamentary system.

“Undemocratic ways is witnessed in countries that follow parliamentary system of governance. Political parties here too are stuck in this system. I urge everyone to overcome it,” Bastola said.

He opined that the country should move towards ‘progressive political system’ through political consensus. However, he fell short to describe what progressive political system entailed.

“If political parties cannot reach consensus to adopt progressive political system then a referendum should be held to let the people make the ultimate decision.”

On the occasion, he said that the 3-point deal signed by his party with the government is in implementation phase. “The government has recognized us as a political party and the ban on the party has been lifted. We will continue holding talks with the government to resolve political problems after our cadres are freed from prisons and cases against them are dropped.”