Kathmandu, December 26:

The Federal Republic National Front (FRNF), a loose alliance of six ethnic fronts, today demanded that the constituent assembly be held on a fully proportional basis and the country be declared a federal democratic republic with the right to self-determination. They also called for a broader national political conference to discuss these issues, as the third amendment of the interim constitution would also not address their concerns.

The FRNF is a loose political alliance of Federal Democratic National Front Nepal comprising Federal Limbuwan State Council, Tamansaling Autonomous State Council, Bhagyanath Gupta-led Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum, Joint Tharu National Front, Dalit Janajati Party, Madhesi Democratic Front and Democratic Madhesi Front.

“The constituent assembly election to be held under the mixed-election system will not help resolve the problems of Madhesis and ethnic communities,” one FRNF press statement issued at a press conference said.

The FRNF also called for dissolution of the interim parliament and the interim government, saying both of them have lost their legitimacy after they failed to hold the assembly election even after announcing election dates thrice.

Vice-president of the Gupta-led MJF Kishor Kumar Biswas said the assembly polls would be meaningless if it was held on the basis of a mixed system and the Madhesi and ethnic communities were not given the right to self-determination.

“A proposal tabled at the House to make the third amendment to the interim constitution has not addressed the issues of the agitating political organisations,” the statement said, adding that the provision of the first-past-the-post system of election for 240 seats must be scrapped, as such a provision was meant for holding the parliamentary polls in accordance with the 1990 statute. The FRNF also announced protest programmes across the country from the first week of January.