Kathmandu, August 8

The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal has decided not to take part in the third phase of local level elections to be held in Province 2 on September 18.

Party’s office bearers endorsed the political document presented by RJP-N Coordinator Mahantha Thakur that advocated that the party should not participate in elections till the constitution amendment bill is passed, according to RJP-N leader Manish Kumar Suman.

“We have also decided to announce protest programmes to disrupt the third phase of local level elections if the government does not address our demands within a week,” said Suman. He said the party would withdraw its support to the government and its lawmakers could also give up their House membership, if the government did not fulfil demands put forth by the party.

The RJP-N has been demanding passage of the constitution amendment bill, withdrawal of false charges against its cadres, compensation for kin of cadres who got killed or suffered injuries during protests, martyrdom status for those killed and more local levels in Province 2.

According to Suman, the meeting has also decided to include names of 124 martyrs and background of Madhes movement in Thakur’s document. The party said the government had to implement the three-point agreement signed with the RJP-N.

In his two-page political document, Thakur has stated that his party will not budge from its stance of not taking part in local polls till the passage of the constitution amendment bill and fulfilment of its other demands.

Thakur stated that provincial boundaries should be revised along the lines of the report submitted by the erstwhile State Restructuring Commission and the number of local levels should be created in Madhes in proportion to the population of the region. He added that there should be a provision of proportional inclusion of Madhesis in all organs of the state. He also demanded that the state should ensure multi-language policy.