NSN to protest at EC, election offices

Kathmandu, April 1

Baburam Bhattarai led Naya Shakti Nepal today said it would stage sit-ins at the Election Commission and all election offices across the country from tomorrow.

Issuing a press release here today, the party said it will protest the provision of newly enacted Local Level Election Act, 2017 that bars new parties (parties not having representation in the Parliament) from contesting local polls under an election symbol.

The NSN had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal yesterday, serving an ultimatum of 48 hours to amend the Local Level Election Act.

The party will stage sit-ins at the Election Commission and election offices on Sunday and Monday. The NSN said some parties added provisions in the original draft bill prepared by the EC and deprived other parties from contesting elections under an election symbol.

The party also stated that a recent meeting of the party’s Federal Council decided to continue its struggle until the Local Level Election Act was amended to allow parties to contest elections under an election symbol.

It has also reiterated that six conditions that the party put forth earlier must be fulfilled in order to prepare conducive environment for the local polls.

Its six conditions include resolution of issues raised by Tharu, Madhesi and indigenous nationalities, restructuring of state in a forward looking manner including the provision for special, protected and autonomous regions, formation of all-party government for holding elections, state fund for political parties, holding of all three elections — local, provincial and parliamentary elections — together, and direct election of president and fully proportional parliamentary elections.