Forms nine-member task force to chalk out protest activities
KATHMANDU, Feb 25: Expressing serious dissatisfaction over the decision of the government to hold local level polls on May 14, the Federal Alliance (FA) has decided to launch a 'non-cooperation movement' against the government.
An FA meeting held on Friday also decided to intensify an anti-poll publicity campaign if amendments are not made to the constitution.
“Our meeting today decided to form a nine-member task force to formulate an anti-poll publicity program and other non-cooperation measures. The task force will prepare protest activities in consultation with top leaders of the FA and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF),” said General Secretary of Rastriya Madhesh Samajbadi Party (RMSP), Keshav Jha.
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The task force members include Brishesh Chandra Lal, Keshav Jha, Ram Naresh Roy, Om Gurung, Bijaya Sainju, Durga Rai, Prem Bahadur Khati and Dal Mardan Kami. FA leaders said the decision to hold 'soft protests' during the first few weeks is to see how the constitution amendment process moves ahead.
FA along with the UDMF plans to hold stronger protests if the amendment process does not reach a logical conclusion in the next three weeks. “The task force is also mandated to hold discussions with other political parties with similar views on the constitution and bring them on board the protests against the polls,” RMSP General Secretary Jha further said.
The meeting, however, decided not to immediately withdraw the support extended to the present government as the FA plans to wait and see how developments unfold in parliament. The meeting decided to launch stringent protests including indefinite general strikes should the amendment process not make headway.
Sources said the FA meeting concluded that they should not be resigning from parliament as parliament is one of the important forums for raising issues and concerns. “Although some leaders are arguing for resigning en masse from parliament to exert pressure on the government to amend the constitution, such a decision is not likely,” said one leader, wishing anonymity.
Proposal to bring Naya Shakti on board rejected
The FA meeting on Friday rejected a proposal from FSF-N Chair Upendra Yadav to bring the Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti on board the FA's nationwide protest program.
Although leaders present at the meeting did not elaborate on the reasons, they argued against bringing Bhattarai's Naya Shakti on board the FA protest programs. “The meeting did not take positively Yadav's proposal to make Bhattarai's Naya Shakti a part of their nationwide protests. There are some serious reservations over Bhattarai within the FA and UDMF,” the leader said.
According to him, a majority of FA and UDMF leaders consider Bhattarai the main guilty in the Maoist insurgency that claimed some 17,000 lives. Bhattarai is also accused of unilaterally dissolving the first Constituent Assembly that had over two-thirds of its members from the marginalized communities.
Bhattarai had headed the Constitutional, Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) that sought to resolve the differences seen over key constitutional issues. The party leaders said the FA and UDMF are unhappy with Bhattarai for submitting the committee report to fast track the new constitution and then resigning from the CA shortly after its promulgation.
FA and UDMF leaders also accused Bhattarai of inciting the activities of CK Raut by inviting him to put forth his secessionist views at his committee in the erstwhile CA. “Bhattarai does not want to give others credit for their good work. Although Hridayesh Tripathi as the minister concerned had facilitated the road expansion work in Kathmandu, Bhattarai had taken sole credit for it,” the leaders further said, while justifying the decision not to include Bhattarai's party in their protests.
