NC‚ UML‚ fringe parties aiming at 'massive' protest on Friday

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Opposition parties — the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and other fringe ones — today discussed modes of protest that they have announced for Friday and ways to make it ‘hugely successful’.

A meeting of 22 parties, held at NC headquarters in Sanepa, today called on people of all walks of life to participate in the protest, which the parties in opposition are organising to make the government ‘correct its unconstitutional move’ of declaring fresh elections.

In a joint statement, the 22 parties said, “The Unified CPN-Maoist-led government is making an all-out effort to impose autocracy and capture state power after dissolving the Constituent Assembly in a conspiratorial manner. It is our duty to stand against such conspiracy and in support of democracy. So, we appeal to all professionals, scholars, peasants, workers, women, youth, students, businessmen, those representing indigenous, janajati, Madhesi and Dalit communities and people of all walks of life to participate in the protest.”

Leaders attending today’s meeting claimed that they were expecting more than 150,000 people to participate in the protest.

The parties have set ‘federal democratic republic’, ‘social harmony’ and ‘no to price hike’ as the main slogans, according to Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC.

The parties, according to KC, concluded that formation of a national unity government was the only way forward to resolve the constitutional and political crisis. “The government used caste-based and regional issues to dissolve the CA and has imposed autocracy. We are against it,” said KC.

The parties also decided to mobilise all their sister wings to make the protest a success.

Congress leaders Sushil Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ramchandra Paudel, UML leaders Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Nepal and leaders of other parties attended today’s meeting.

According to NC leader Gopal Man Shrestha, another meeting of 22 parties slated for tomorrow will finalise the programmes for Friday.

Other forms of protests will be set later after evaluating Friday’s programme, said KC.