Kathmandu, January 15:

Leaders of various fringe parties today said they will not participate in the upcoming local elections amid unrest even though they theoretically support the elections.

Addressing a programme at the Reporters’ Club, Devendra Mishra, the general secretary of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP), said his party had decided to participate in the elections. “But we will not participate in the elections in this situation where our security it not guaranteed. Peaceful environment is prerequisite for any election,” he added.

Mishra further said nobody, either as a voter or as a candidate, could participate in the elections amid fear and terror. “Let’s wait till January 26 and we will give you the final decision of the party,” he said. Parties can nominate their candidates for the elections till January 26.

Chairman of Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party Prem Bahadur Singh said his party would not participate in the elections until peace was restored completely. “How can we contest any election if murder takes place almost everyday?” He asked.

The Rashtrabadi Milan Kendra has a different age-nda and it wants to fight the elections to challenge the ‘royalist’ RPP. Spokes-person for the party, Lal Bahadur Nepali, said the party would take part in the elections even though there is environment to contest the elections.

“We are fighting the elections because we want to stand against the vice-chairman of the council of ministers, Dr Tulsi Giri who is using all his power to let the royalist RPP win the elections, and his tendency,” he said.

He also condemned the Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Keshar Bahadur Bista for changing his view on elections, which he used to say were not possible before joining the government. “Our party will teach such leaders with double standard a lesson,” he said.

Bhola Man Thapa, the general secretary of Prajatantrik Nepal Party, said the elections will not be fair at present when one can do anything if he intends to use the power. “We will not contest the elections if a situation was not created for all parties to participate in it,” he said.

Kuber Sharma, the chairman of the Hariyali Party Nepal, said his party will contest the election as tougher royal proclamation could come out if elections do not take place.

Uma Shrestha, the chairperson of Rashtrabadi Ekata Party, said her party would send contestants in all 58 municipalities, but without revealing their names in advance.

At the same programme, state Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Dr Durga Pokhrel said it is not necessary to flash out the names of the candidates to the media.

Pokhrel, an ex-activist of the NC, now chairs a newly-formed fringe party. When journalists asked about her party’s candidates for the elections she said, “It is not necessary to give their names to you as you are not the authority. You will see it when they will be elected,” she said.

She said her party is going to field candidates in most of the municipalities.