Kathmandu, January 11:

The eight student unions affiliated to the seven agitating parties today announced a fresh round of protests throughout the country to boycott the municipal elections.

A meeting of the leaders of the eight students’ unions has decided to burn the ballot boxes

during the municipal elections in all municipalities of the country on January 18. The meeting also decided to take out a run-rally from Lainchaur to Asan on January 19 as part of a a publicity campaign to make the mass demonstration of seven political parties on January 20 a success.

According to Mahendra Sharma, president of the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), the eight student unions have also decided to organise “municipal elections boycott meeting” in every municipality in the country on January 25.

“Besides, the unions have decided to mobilise students in all municipalities to foil the election,” Sharma said, adding: “We have aslo decided to run a campaign to socially boycott the candidates, proposers and supporters of the election.”

The student unions have agreed to utilise the scheduled Free Students’ Unions elections as a campaign to push the democratic movement ahead. “We will compete in a friendly manner,” a press statement jointly issued by the unions stated. Tribhuvan University has announced to hold the elections of the Free Students’ Union on January 29.

The meeting has formed an educational agreement implementation and monitoring committee to effectively monitor the implemention of previous agreements with the authorities concerned.