Kathmandu, September 24

The CPN-UML today demanded that the government prevent Rohingya refugees from entering Nepal, saying that the country would plunge into a refugee crisis if appropriate steps were not taken  immediately.

More than 600 Rohingya refugees displaced from riot-torn Rakhine state of Myanmar have already entered Nepal through India.

The Central Committee meeting of the principal opposition party also expressed worry over the act of pushing Rohingya refugee into Nepal through India.

The three-day CC meeting, which concluded today, also expressed serious objection to the expansion of the Cabinet, saying the move was against the election code of conduct, democratic norms and values and would fleece state coffers.

“The meeting condemned the PM’s justification for the jumbo cabinet and his statement that the cabinet couldreach up to 60 members,” reads a press release issued by UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali. It said the cabinet was expanded to influence the upcoming provincial and parliamentary polls.

The meeting condemned the Nepali congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre alliance’s arbitrary decision to change the number of local bodies after the date for local level elections were announced. It also condemned the environment of terror during election, incidents of booth capturing, transfer and promotion of government employees and political appointments, inaugurations, laying of foundation stones of development projects, use of money and misuse of state power, which had made a mockery of democracy.

The meeting gave authority to the party’s standing committee to choose candidates for provincial assembly and House of Representatives elections. The UML had given the rights to party Chair KP Sharma Oli to sign nomination papers of candidates of both provincial assembly and House of Representatives.

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• Rohingya refugees in Nepal