"We are organizing a national gathering on June 27 to prepare a complete roadmap of a new party," said Bhandari while addressing a press conference in the capital on Monday afternoon, adding, "The national gathering of leaders from across the Tarai districts will finalize the name, statute, flag of the party through democratic procedures." [break]
He stated they will form a new party based on the principles of rights to determination and self rule, autonomous Madhes state based on identity and economic viability.
"Unlike the mother party dominated by Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar´s monolithic leadership, the new party will have democratic practices and will be inclusive and give due recognition to all voices from ethnic, Dalit and other marginalized and minority communities," Bhadari said.
He ruled out any possibility of joining another party. "If we wanted to join other parties, why would we have called a national gathering," Bhandari added.
Leaders close to Bhandari, including the nine central committee (CC) members who resigned on Sunday and six CC members who quit the party on Monday, were also present at the press conference.
The six MPRF-D leaders who resigned on Monday were Rameshwor Shah, Ganga Prasad Akela, Jaya Prakash Yadav, Mohammad Yusuf Safi, Jiwachhi Chaudhary and Shashi Kanta Mishra.
They resigned citing serious dissatisfaction over the working style of party Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, also deputy prime minister and home minister in the Baburam Bhattarai-led government. The have also accused the leadership of deviating from its original ideals of democracy and the Madhes cause and being greedy for power.
Meanwhile, a central committee meeting of MPRF-D at party headquarters in Sanepa on Monday decided to expel nine CC members who announced their resignation from the party. "They neither furnished their clarification nor submitted their resignation to the party. So, the CC meeting decided to expel them even terminating their membership as per the recommendation made by party disciplinary committee," MPRF-D Chief Secretary Parmananda Mehta told Republica.
MPRF-D on June 6 expelled Bhandari accusing him of involvement in activities against party policy and discipline.
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