Kathmandu, March 31:

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) recently launched constituent assembly election awareness campaigns throughout the nation to request the indigenous

nationalities to vote for the parties favouring their issues.

The NEFIN has also called on the indigenous people to be cautious while casting their votes. In a leaflet published by the NEFIN, it has said the political parties have increased seats for the indigenous nationalities for the election.

The Nepali Congress has allotted 24 per cent seats for the indigenous people, CPN UML has allotted 26 per cent, CPN-Maoist has allotted 31 per cent and CPN (United) has provided 48 per cent seats in the First Past The Post (FPTP) election system, it said.

NEFIN has stated that the CA polls is for the establishment of federal democratic republican set-up and to bring an end to the unitary governance system and all forms of discriminations. Besides, the CA polls is essential for the establishment of autonomous regions on the basis of ethnicity, language and geography and to ensure right to self-determination, lasting peace and make Nepali people fully sovereign, the leaflet said.

NEFIN has also requested the indigenous voters to choose the parties that have expressed serious commitment to the demands it has been raising since long.

Two groups of intellectuals led by NEFIN president Pasang Sherpa and NEFIN advisor Dr Om Gurung have left for awareness campaigns in the eastern and western parts of the country, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Janajati Empowerment Project (JEP) under the NEFIN has decided to restrict all its officials from using the vehicles provided by the project from April 3. Issuing a notice, the JEP has instructed its staff that there should not be any direct indication of the involvement of the organisation to any political party.