Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin), an umbrella organisation of 56 ethnic communities, has taken a strong exception to the government’s decision of conducting the local elections without resolving the local boundary dispute. 

Organising a press meet on Thursday, Nefin leaders said that the election cannot be supported unless local boundaries are redrawn, upholding the spirit of the agreement reached between the government and the ethnic groups. 

Nefin Chairman Jagat Bahadur Baram claimed that the new constitution did not ensure the rights and identity of indigenous, Madhesi and the oppressed communities. 

“We were expecting a proper revision in the constitution before the announcement of the local polls. However, the government unilaterally announced the date for local polls ignoring our concerns altogether. This is not acceptable,” said Baram.

Nefin has said that the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) proposed 719 local units (VDCs and municipals) against the spirit of the constitutional provision on border demarcation.

“The structure of local level has not been established yet,” read a statement issued after the press meet. 

“That’s why the election announced to be held in the structure formed on the basis of incomplete, unscientific, and discriminatory report would not be acceptable to indigenous people.”

Nefin General Secretary Nitya Nanda Tajpuri, who is also a leader of Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal, said that Nefin was preparing to announce protest programmes against the planned elections.