Madhesis' alliance to boycott 2nd phase of Nepal local polls

Kathmandu: A newly-formed alliance of six Madhes-based parties in Nepal on Friday announced that it will boycott the second phase of local elections and launch a fresh agitation to block the first local-level polls held in the country in two decades.

The Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) after a meeting held here announced that it will hold protests to foil the second phase of local level elections slated for June 14.

As part of its protest programmes, the party has decided to organise torch rallies in districts headquarters of all the sub-metropolitan cities and municipalities tomorrow, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The party has decided to take out lathi rallies in the district headquarters, municipalities and village councils on May 28 and to form struggle committees in all the polling stations.

It has also decided to hold an interaction with entrepreneurs, experts, journalists, youths and students among others on May 29.

It said will padlock and picket election offices of municipalities and village councils on May 30.

The newly-formed alliance has also decided to organise torch rallies in all the district headquarters, municipalities and major markets on May 31.

It decided to enforce general strike in Madhes, Tharuwat and Limbuwan on June 1 and 2.

The Madhes-centric parties have welcomed the government?s decision to elevate Biratnagar into a metropolitan city and increase the number of local units in the Tarai.

The RJP-N, however, said it will not participate in the second phase of local election unless the constitution is amended to address the concerns raised by them.

The first phase of the local polls was held on May 14 with a 71 per cent voter turnout.

Local-level elections could not be held in the country after 1997 largely as a result of the decade-long Maoist insurgency that claimed more than 16,000 lives in Nepal.

The elections should be held in every five years but due to the political instability, they were halted since May 1997.

Local bodies remained ignored during the long transitional period even after the signing of a peace deal between the government and the Maoists in November 2006.

Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections until the new Constitution is amended to accommodate their views: more representation in the Parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

The Nepal government has tabled a new Constitution amendment bill in the Parliament to address the demands of the agitating Madhesis.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a prolonged agitation between September 2015 and February last year against the implementation of the new Constitution which they felt marginalised the Terai community.