The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha has said that it cannot accept the report of the Local Body Restructuring Commission that proposes to form 565 local units (village and municipal councils) in the new federal set up.

Morcha leaders said that the proposed local setup was a deliberate attempt to disfranchise the Madhesi constituencies. Morcha allies have also demanded the commission be disbanded, arguing that the constitutional body was formed without consultation with the agitating parties.

They said that the population should be the sole basis for restructuring on the local bodies in the Tarai plain. The proposed report has taken both the population and geography into account while restructuring the local bodies.

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato said that the local bodies should be restructured after resolving the row over the federal boundaries. He stressed the need for a broader consensus among the political parties to determine the numbers of village and municipal council.

“We are also in favour of election. But the constitution should be amended first to address the grievances of the agitating communities over the restructuring,” said Mahato. Major parties have also expressed dissatisfaction over the proposed report. The ruling parties—Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress—have been pressing for at least 1,000 village and municipal councils. The UML, on the other hand, insists on bringing it below the proposed 565.

The Morcha has also come up with an alternative proposal—to hold the general election before holding the provincial and the local polls. While the Maoist Centre has proposed to hold the local body elections under the new federal setup, its coalition partner Nepali Congress is in favour of doing it under the existing setup.

“It will be easier to implement the constitution and go into a new federal setup

if we hold the general election. The proposal to hold the election is not scientific,” said Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Vice-chair Brikhesh Chandra Lal.

A meeting of Morcha’s top guns held at the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party’s office on Wednesday also urged the government to address the non-political demands without delay. The list of martyrs released by the government was incomplete, Morcha leaders said, adding that at least six people they had recommended for martyr status are missing from the list. They said that several injured protesters are still awaiting compensation.

“We urge the government to give a complete shape to the commission formed to investigate the extra judicial killings during the Madhes movement,” said Mahato.