Itahari, July 21:

Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara today said that the eight parties will take “administrative measures” to resolve problems of the Tarai after launching a ‘special political campaign’.

Addressing the Koshi zonal meeting of revolutionary journalists here, Mahara said, “Leaders of eight political parties, taking part in a meeting yesterday, reached an agreement to this effect.”

As part of the campaign, senior leaders of the eight political parties will take part in mass meets and gatherings to be organised in sensitive areas of the Tarai, he said. Expressing concern about insecurity plaguing journalists and government employees in the Tarai, he said, “We are thinking of making special security arrangements for them.”

He claimed that some activities of the government are in violation of the eight-party agreement.

There is difference of opinion between progressive forces in the government and the forces that favour status quo, Mahara said.

“It will be difficult to hold the elections if the unity of the eight parties, civil society

and journalists is not strengthened further,” he said.

“Conspiracies are being hatched in the name of Chure Bhawar and Tarai to disrupt the elections,” he said.

Without elaborating, he said that history may repeat itself if the CA elections are not conducted on time.

Asked why the Maoists are still not joining ‘mainstream politics’, he said, “ We will not accept the so-called mainstream in which the king is at the centre. We are for a new kind of mainstream politics.”

Saying that the nation is facing a host of opportunities and challenges, he said that complete transformation will be impossible until a federal democratic republic is set up.

He said that the parliament will pass the Working Journalists’ Act within 15 days.