The dinner was organized out of a Rs 6,00,000 budget received from the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. Present during the function, hosted by the District Peace Committee, were leaders and cadres of all eight political parties in Dhankuta, the Chief District Officer, chiefs of security agencies and representatives of governmental and non-governmental agencies. [break]
According to the letter, the parties have expressed their commitment to human rights, lasting peace, good governance, public health and reduction of climate change. Similarly, they have committed themselves to abide by all peace accords, not to interfere in administrative investigations, abide by election norms, not to let party activities affect peace and development activities in the district, help officials curb smuggling, and request vendors to put up the prices of daily commodities.
In addition, they also said that differences among political parties would be resolved through dialogue and there would be no resort to any donation drive. Moreover, they agreed to declare schools as peace zones, respect press freedom and abstain from painting political slogans on walls at parks, temples and other local establishments.
UCPN(Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN(United), Rastriya Shakti Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janamukti Party and Sangiya Limbuwan Rajya Parishad signed the letter. However, CPN-ML and Rastriya Janamorcha did not endorse the commitments.
The code of conduct was finalized after more than 40 meetings. The parties have said that the commitments were already implemented from Tuesday, coordinator of District Peace Committee Rajendra Rai informed.
Stating that while such a code of conduct would help the overall development of the district, chief of Dhankuta Campus Keshav Pahadi said it will be a great challenge to the parties to get their sister organizations to abide by the commitments.
In the past many such understandings and codes of conduct were violated by political parties and their sister organizations.
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