Talking to Republica, NSP chairperson Sarita Giri said, “We have burned down the deal as the agreement reached between FDF and the HLPC was against the interests of Madhesi people and has ignored the demand of constituency delineation on the basis of population.” [break]
She maintained that sticking only to 58% seats for Proportional Representation (PR) would be futile by ignoring the population basis representation. She reiterated that Madhes should get minimum 121 seats out of total 240 constituencies.
She further claimed that the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) would not be inclusive, as there would be lower representation from Madhesh where more than 50% of national population lives.
“There should be fifty-fifty ratio between PR and First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) seats in the upcoming CA polls,” Giri said, adding that true representation of marginalized communities could only be guaranteed by such form of electoral system.
Giri further accused Madhesi People’s Right Forum-Nepal (MPRF-N) Chairman Upendra Yadav and Sharat Singh Bhandari, Chairman of National Madhes Socialist Party (NMSP), the two constituent parties FDF, of being agents of UCPN (Maoist).
She claimed that the eight constituent parties of FDF, including MPRF-N and NMSP are in a race of joining the incumbent government just to hold ministerial portfolios.
“They (FDF) can compromise with Madhesi agendas for power,” she further alleged. “My health is deteriorating day by day and despite that I will continue my fast-unto-death campaign till our demands are met,” she insisted.
She reiterated that HLPC should be dissolved as it has been taking series of anti-Madhesi decisions.
Giri is on hunger strike from Tuesday in the capital demanding a review of the number of election constituencies for the upcoming CA elections.
Meanwhile, JP Gupta-led Tarai-Madhesh National Campaign has also termed the deal as betrayal. “The Six-point deal is propaganda and it is not in the interest of Madhesh,” said JP Gupta talking to Republica.
Saying that the six-point deal should be merely taken as ‘face saving tool for Upendra Yadav’, Gupta further maintained that the deal was an attempt to further sideline marginalized communities.
“We are holding functions in different districts of Terai from Friday to expose Madhesh based parties,” said Gupta.
He also added that democracy could only be safeguarded by ‘population basis representation.’
Related story
What leaders said about the late NC leader Pradeep Giri
