Madhesi Morcha to oppose local body polls in Nepal

A day after Nepal's three major political parties -- Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre -- agreed to hold local body polls by end of April next year, the agitating Madhes-based parties in Nepal have decided to oppose these lections.

Concluding that elections cannot take place under clouded political circumstances, a meeting of Samuktya Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha -- an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties protesting against the Constitution in Nepal -- has urged the government to address their demands first if it wants to hold the local body elections.

The government has moved a Constitution amendment bill in Parliament in order to address the demand of agitating Madhes parties.

But top leaders of the three major parties on Tuesday decided to put the Constitution amendment bill on hold and agreed to hold elections, without any prior consultations with Madhes-based parties.

The parties said that in order to implement the new Constitution in Nepal and to preserve the achievements made in the past decade, it is mandatory to hold the elections that only stave off the present political standoff and will let political stability in the Himalayan nation.

Miffed at the major parties' move, the Madhes-based parties stated that "the decision to put the Constitution amendment bill on hold will further jeopardise the crisis in Madhes and push the country towards uncertainty".

They said that at a time when people are on the street demanding fair rights in the Constitution, holding elections will be a "political suicidal act".

About 59 people were killed in the southern plains of Nepal following unrest over the new Constitution adopted in September 2015.

The alliance of Madhes-based parties decided that it will not take part in the election and will retaliate against it.

"The good solution was to amend the Constitution first and go for elections later, but we were deceived as the government decided to hold elections by putting the amendment bill in limbo," the alliance's statement reads.

The main opposition, Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist), has been obstructing the house proceedings, terming the Constitution amendment bill as "anti-national". It has taken to streets in some districts.

To understand and solicit the official view of the government, the Madhes-based leaders will meet Prime Minister Prachanda and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday.

--IANS

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