Though the Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi has already expressed his commitment to set the date for polls, NSU said that the protest program was announced to ensure that the TU and the government take their demands more seriously.[break]
The Nepali Congress affiliated student wing is set to begin a relay hunger strike at the TU Vice Chancellor (VC) office from 11 am Sunday, said the NSU Coordinator Ranjit Karna. It has also demanded that the TU implement its academic calendar at all its constituent colleges.
The union said it would organize more stringent protests, if their demands are not addressed. “We will stage fast-unto-death if the TU fails to announce fresh date for polls,” said Harish Chandra Bhandari, chairman of the Shakar Dev Campus chapter of NSU, who is among those set to take part in the Sunday´s hunger strike.
The students have said that the delay in FSU poll has increased corruption in the colleges and that they doubt whether the TU will hold the polls, which has been delayed for two years. The last FSU election was conducted in 2009, and though it is preordained to be carried out every two years, it hasn´t been held since.
The student unions earlier had differences over conducting the election under direct electoral system. However, on February 26, they signed an agreement with the TU to go for the mixed electoral system.
Though students have been demanding polls in all TU affiliated institutions, the TU officials announced to carry polls in the constituent colleges only.
Receiving a memorandum submitted by eleven students unions affiliated to various political parties on Friday, Chairman Regmi assured that the TU would coordinate on declaring the date of FSU election.
Meanwhile, TU VC Hira Bahadur Maharjan has said that the varsity has sent a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister asking it to call a TU senate meeting to amend the TU regulation to incorporate newly agreed mixed electoral system.
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