Kathmandu, December 29

A meeting of the United Democratic Madhesi Front is likely to make its stance clear on the constitutional amendment bill and local polls tomorrow.

A meeting of the front discussed constitutional issues but scheduled another meeting for tomorrow morning as it failed to discuss all issues today.

According to General Secretary of National Madhes Socialist Party Keshav Jha, the UDMF leaders decided to sit tomorrow as they felt the need to make their stance clear on the constitutional amendment bill and local polls.

“We reached a conclusion that if we do not accept the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission’s report on restructuring of local bodies, then we must say that clearly and we must also state our reasons,” Jha said.

A UDMF source said front leaders were worried that the big three parties were conspiring to hold local polls without amending the constitution and in that case, they would have to resort to street protests again. “The UDMF leaders were convinced that they should not accept the polls without seeing the constitution amended because many people were martyred in the last movement,” the source added.

General Secretary of Sadbhanwana Party Manish Kumar Suman said the UDMF had shown maximum flexibility on constitutional issues but ruling parties took it as the front’s weaknesses. “We showed maximum flexibility. How can we accept the big three parties’ decision to hold local polls without amending the constitution,” he added.

Suman said the UDMF could easily block government’s efforts to hold local polls. “If Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN-Maoist can force a general strike across the country for bulldozing four houses of landless squatters, why can we not block the government’s attempt to hold polls?” Suman said.

UDMF sources said the government’s decision to hold local polls would be resisted in the hills also as people associated with the big three parties were not happy with the LBRC’s map of local bodies.