Nepal’s Janjati federation to hit streets against lead political parties

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s janjati and indigenous leaders have slammed lead political parties for moving ahead without consulting them.

A federation of these community, Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN, on Sunday rolled out plans to launch street protests against what it said conspiracy to undermine their demands recognised by the erstwhile constituent assembly.

NEFIN chairman Raj Kumar Lekhi has claimed that the three lead parties were reaching agreement to form consensus government by agreeing on multi-ethnic identity as basis for federalism, reducing proportional representation and seats of the new constituent assembly, promulgating the new constitution through legislature parliament and to nullify various reports prepared by various thematic committees of the erstwhile CA.

Though the press release did not elaborate any basis for such claims, it nevertheless announced the organisations plan to protest against the major parties- UCPN Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML—and the United Democratic Madhesi Front.

The federation has announced to organise a protest assembly at Ratnapark in Shantibatika on Monday morning. The threat comes a day short before the time line given by the President to lead parties to forming national consensus government ends.