Kathmandu, November 9:

Terming the peace agreement signed between the seven-party alliance (SPA) and the Maoist incomplete, Speaker of the House of Representative Subas Nembang today urged ethnic communities, women, Madheshis and other backward communities to launch a “stronger movement” to realise their aspirations.

Addressing the general convention of the Tharu Welfare Forum, he said: “Even after signing the peace deal, we have not achieved the main objective of the Jana Andolan. “There are lots of questions to be answered and lots of problems to be solved,” he said.

“Democracy will be restored in a real sense only if all citizens are made sovereign and the power of the state rests with them,” he said.

The constituent assembly will resolve all issues concerning the new political system and restructuring of the state, he said.

“People did not feel the Constitution of Nepal 1990 was theirs because they were not allowed to participate in the process of drafting the constitution,” he said, stressing the need to involve people in the drafting of the new constitution.

He urged all to take part in the constituent assembly elections.

A leader of the NC-D, Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar, also said the new peace deal neglected the demands of ethnic communities.

“Time has come to ask the state what it has given to the Tharus and other ethnic communities,” he said, adding: “The parliament should not pass the Interim constitution without guaranteeing that state power would be shared among ethic groups.” Meanwhile, the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) today criticised the agreement. It said the agreement has not addressed the demands of indigenous nationalities.

“Nepali indigenous nationalities do not believe the agreement would lead to the restoration of a lasting peace because it has not upheld the spirit of the Jana Andolan II,” said Dr Om Gurung, general secretary of the NEFIN, the umbrella organisation of Nepali indigenous

nationalities.

Addressing a press meet here today, Dr Gurung said the agreement has not addressed demands of the indigenous nationalities. “Instead of addressing major political agendas, including the call for the formation of a federal democratic republic with ethnic and regional autonomy, the agreement has only dealt with technical aspects,” he said.

The Indigenous Nationalities Joint Struggle Committee (INJSC) today said the agreement reached between the Maoist and the seven-party alliance has failed to address demands of indigenous nationalities.

The INJSC is a forum comprising indigenous organisations affiliated to the NC, the CPN-UML, NC (D), Janamorcha Nepal, CPN (ML) and the CPN (MLM).