Kathmandu, November 22:

The student wing of the CPN (Maoist) is conducting mini referendums on “whether private education should be nationalised or not” in different parts of the valley tomorrow.

The All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) said it has made preparations to conduct the referendums at the Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Tahachal, Gramin Adarsha Higher Secondary School, Nepaltar, Adarsha Multiple Campus Sano Thimi, Bhaktapur and Namuna Machchindra Campus at f Lagankhel.

One booth will be set up in front of the ANNISU-R central office in Bagbazaar. Anyone can cast his/her vote there.

“We are trying to make grounds for our movement, which is aimed at nationalising private education. The 17th national convention of the ANNISU-R had decided to launch the movement,” said Lekhnath Neupane, the ANNISU-R president.

The first referendum was conducted at Bahrabise in Sindhupalchowk, where over 900 votes were cast. “Ninety-two per cent of the voters went for the nationalisation of private education, while seven per cent voted for private education. One per cent of the total votes was disqualified,” he said.

The Kathmandu Valley Special Regional Coordination Committee, in a statement, has appealed to all students, guardians, intellectuals, human rights activists and journalists to support and participate in the referendum.

“The referendums in colleges will begin at 8 am and will go on till 2 pm,” said Yuvaraj Chaulagain, the vice-chairman of the union. Open polling at Bagbazaar, however, will begin from 10 am, he said.

Chaulagain said students of respective colleges will be eligible to vote in booths set up in colleges.

“Based on the mandate given by the people through the referendums, we will pile pressure on the government to transform the education sector,” he said.