PHIDIM, August 10

The Federal Limbuwan National Party has demanded that the nine eastern districts across Arun River be merged for its province, following the recent six-province model agreement between leaders of four major parties in Panchthar.

Party Chairman Kumar Lingdel said that the fourteen-district province would not be acceptableto them. He demanded Limbuwan Pradesh comprising nine districts

of the region, in a statement issued on Monday.

The districts must be combined for the province on historical grounds, directly elected president, proportional representation, secularism and federal republicanism are the concerns of our party,” reads the statement signed by the Lingdel.

If the pradesh is delineated as per the recommendation of the four parties, five districts of Khambuwan will overlap and the people will be deprived of fundamental rights, hence, the Limbuwan pradesh must be carved from nine districts, it claimed.  The party has announced a protest programme including general strike and Limbuwan bandh on August 13. The party has sought Sankhuwasabha, Dhankuta, Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung and Terhathum in the province, excluding Solukhumbu, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Khotang and Udaypur.