Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda warns of ‘terrible price’ if Madhesis boycott polls

KATHMANDU :Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda today said the Madhes-centric parties will pay a “terrible price” if they rejected the government’s appeal to participate in the local-level elections on May 14.nnThe government has maintained utmost flexibility to address the concerns of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of seven Madhes-centric parties, to bring it on board the election process, Prachanda, also the chairman of the Maoist party, said while addressing an election rally organised by CPN (Maoist Centre) in Birtamod in Jhapa.nnThe alliance will pay a terrible price if it turns down the government’s request to participate in the local-level elections, the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.nnThe Prime Minister said that he would try to convince the agitating Madhesis to participate in the polls.nnIn case the Morcha leaders refused to participate in the local elections, the decision will only hurt them and their reputation, Prachanda said.nnThe people will reject Morcha if it decided to boycott the elections, he said, adding that the elections will be conducted in a single phase on May 14.nnYesterday, six prominent Madhesi parties merged to form Rastirya Janata Party.nnThe six parties that have merged include Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party, Rastriya Madhes Samajbadi Party, Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Ganatantrik and Nepal Sadbhawana Party.nnThe six parties have 24 lawmakers in the Parliament.nnThe Madhesi parties, who claim to represent the interests of inhabitants of the southern Terai region who are mostly of Indian-origin, demand that the Constitution promulgated in 2015 be amended to revise the provisions of citizenship and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary before going to the polls.nnAlthough they have announced to boycott the polls, Prachanda-led coalition government is making efforts to bring them to the electoral process so as to implement the Constitution.nnSource: Press Trust of India