Terai strike enters 14th consecutive day

South East Asia News.Net
Tuesday 26th February, 2008 (ANI)

Kathmandu, Feb.26 : An indefinite strike called by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) in the eastern Terai region entered its fourteenth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Reports said the situation is still tense in parts of Bara, Parsa, Nawalparasi, Kapilbastu and Saptari districts, and the local administration has clamped curfew in parts of these districts.

The region between Birgunj and Pathlaiya road is under curfew as the administration is preparing to transport essential goods to the capital valley and elsewhere in the country.

The district headquarters of Saptari, Rajbiraj is also under curfew with tensions rising a day after one person was killed in clash with security personnel.

Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, the leaders of UDMF are said to be preparing to hold another round of talks with the government.

Despite the turmoil in Terai, senior leaders of seven party alliance have vowed to proceed with the April 10 election for Constituent Assembly (CA).

According to nepalnews, Maoist chairman Prachanda and Unified Marxisr Leninist (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal reiterated their stance regarding the timely election.

"We have found that the government has tried to demonstrate maximum flexibility (during talks with agitating Madhesi groups). We hope that the Madhesi leaders will reach an understanding. By protecting national integrity and sovereignty, their demands can be fulfilled," Nepal told reporters after filing his nomination paper in Kathmandu.

In response to demands by some Madhesi leaders regarding the need to postpone the election by some time, Nepal said that they can only consider deferring some poll schedule to facilitate their participation in the election.

Prachanda was more forthright. "The people of Madhes are not in agitation. Some miscreants are trying create havoc. They have to be dealt accordingly," he told the reporters after filing his nomination paper.

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