A meeting of the 33-party alliance held on Sunday decided to enforce general strike only on Monday and impose transport strike for nine days starting Tuesday. Earlier the alliance had announced to enforce general strike for 10 days with a view to disrupt the ongoing election process. [break]
"We have made changes in the earlier announced protest program keeping in mind the suggestions given by various communities," said a statement issued by the 33-party party alliance on Sunday.
Various organizations have still been pressuring the poll-opposing parties to withdraw the strikes saying that imposing strikes in the run up to the election would deprive the people of their basic democratic right to vote.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD), are among various organizations that have been pressing the poll-boycotting parties to withdraw the strikes.
Holding a meeting with leaders from the 33-party alliance on Sunday evening, FNCCI representatives urged the leaders to withdraw the strikes.
Responding to the request from FNCCI delegation led by its President Suraj Vaidya, leaders from the 33-party alliance assured them of exercising restraint during the protest.
"After listening to our concerns, the leaders told us that they would show maximum restraint and flexibility during the strikes," FNCCI´s Director General Hemant Dawadi told Republica after the meeting. "They also insisted on resolving the issue politically."
FNCCI´s executive committee meeting held earlier in the afternoon had decided to urge the political parties to seek political solution ahead of the general strikes and transport shutdown.
"Election is the only alternative to bail the country out of the existing crisis and there should not be any kind of disruption to the scheduled election from anyone. So, the government and the major political parties will be requested to seek political solution to address this political problem," read the FNCCIs´ decision.
Stating that shutdown and strikes inflict hardship to general public, hit the country´s economy hard and bring in adverse effect on the livelihoods of the general people, the meeting decided that private sector will stand against the strike.
The FNCCI also formed the "Peace and Dialogue Coordination Committee" headed by Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, first vice-president of FNCCI, to coordinate the efforts from the private sector to deal with the "political problem".
The committee will coordinate to organize various programs including peace rallies and goodwill meetings and convene dialogues and interactions with the agitating parties to put pressure on them to withdraw their protests.
Issuing a statement on Sunday, NHRC has stated that it will be a serious violation of civil rights and political rights at a time when people are all set to participate in the country´s political process through their voting rights.
"This [strikes/shutdowns] will have a negative impact on the entire political process aimed at promulgating a human rights friendly constitution from the CA," said the NHRC.
The constitutional body has reminded the anti-poll alliance of 33 political parties that the proposed general strike will cause further hardships for patients, workers and the ordinary people.
Meantime, a writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) against the proposed protest programs by advocate Dhruba Prasad Bhattarai.
The writ petitioner has asked the SC to halt the protest programs until the court passes its final decision on the issue.
Last week, the UN resident coordinator in Nepal on behalf of international community, urged the agitating parties not to impose general strike in the run up to the election. The statement was issued following a meeting of envoys from India, China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Russia and France among other 23 countries.
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