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Oppn parties, Maoists renew call for boycott of municipal polls

Seven agitating political parties and the rebel CPN (Maoist) have renewed their calls for active boycott of the municipal elections being held on February 8 (Wednesday).

In separate statements issued on Tuesday, the parties and the CPN (Maoist) described the municipal polls as a ‘farce’, saying that the polls were being held to entrench the ‘autocratic government’ in place. They urged the general people not to cast their votes.

“The autocratic royal government which has usurped all the rights of the people is staging a drama in the form of so-called municipal elections tomorrow. In the context that all national and international sections who believe in democracy, human rights, press freedom and rule of law have already boycotted the elections, I once again appeal to all sovereign and pro-democracy people not to cast their votes,” Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala said in a press release.

The NC president also urged the party cadres, other agitating parties, professionals and the civil society activists to carry out programs to actively boycott the polls.

Similarly, CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal in statement asked the general people not to cast their votes.

He also lamented the government’s decree to civil servants to cast their votes compulsorily and pointed out that there was no guarantee of security to voters going to the polling booths.

Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda in his statement reiterated the call for active boycott of the polls and asked his party men to “take the movement for democracy and peace to a new height.” He claimed that the seven-day nationwide bandh (general strike) observed by the parties from Sunday had been successful.

Likewise, jailed Nepali Congress (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba in a statement issued today urged the party cadres and the general people to oppose the polls.

Municipal polls are being held in 58 municipalities on Wednesday amidst incidents of violent confrontations in different parts of the country. The government has said security forces have been kept on alert for security during the polls. nepalnews.com mk/ia Feb 07 06