Stick to May 15 document‚ leaders told

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: More than two dozen central leaders of the CPN-UML and Nepali Congress have jointly urged their parties’ chiefs to be united over the May 15 agreement of 11 federal states to ensure successful completion of new constitution before May 27.

Sixteen central members of the UML and nine from the Nepali Congress suggested both Sushil Koirala and Jhala Nath Khanal to go along with the agreement they have sealed with the UCPN-Maoist and Madhesi Morcha during a joint-central committee meeting held in Singha Durbar on Sunday.

“Those who oppose the agreement are the elements who do not want to bring new constitution on time,” read a joint 11-point appeal signed by all 25 leaders. The leaders include Prakash Jwala, Karna Thapa, Dilli Bahadur Mahat, Yognarayan Chaudhary, Baijanath Chaudhary, Jiban Ram Shrestha, Mahamud Alam of UML and Gagan Thapa, Jiban Pariya, NP Saud, Ajaya Dibedi, Dhanaraj Gurung of Nepali Congress.

Also, they have urged for the implementation of the five-point-agreement sealed among the parties earlier. While stressing that the state restructuring must not be done in a way to give upper hand to certain caste, community, person or party, they opined that it must address all socio-economic aspects of the nation to maintain social harmony. The leaders have also appealed to reduce the size of federal and states legislatures to manage by their own resources.

The central leaders, mostly youths representing all regions, also opined to ensure unanimity in system to select the executive heads of the centre and the states. Reservation should be secured to those who are really underprivileged and Dalits, but not all, they said. While condemning the recent attacks on mediapersons and other castes during the ongoing bandhs, they urged the government to take necessary measures to ensure security for people from all walks of life, to protect people’s fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of Press, and to do the needful to maintain social harmony.

They also called upon all political parties to bring a common proposal regarding the issues of state restructuring and federalism.