Koirala Government, FRNF sign five point deal; FRNF agitation ends

Kathmandu, Mar.1 : The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) Government, headed by Prime Minister G.P.Koirala, on Saturday signed a five-point agreement with the Federal Republic National Front (FRNF), an alliance of seven groups agitating in Terai and eastern region, which effectively sets the ball rolling for the April 10 elections in the country.

The five-point agreement was signed at Baluwatar, Koirala's official residence this afternoon, reported NepalNews.

It includes a 'guarantee' of ending centralised governing system through the Constituent Assembly; martyr status to those killed during the FRNF-called agitations and Rs 1 million compensation to the families of the deceased.

The agreement became possible after the FRNF agreed to drop its demand for fully proportional election system for the CA and "constitutional guarantee" of autonomy to federal units on the basis of language and region.

Representatives of five of the seven constituents of the Front - Federal Democratic National Forum, Federal Limbuwan State Council, Tamsaling Autonomous State Council, Dalit Janajati Party and Tharuwan National Front - signed the agreement while Republican Madhesi Front and Bhangya Nath Gupta-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Madhesh rejected it.

With the signing of the deal, FRNF has withdrawn its agitations in Terai and eastern districts.

Before arriving at the five-point deal, the government's talk team led by peace and reconstruction minister Ram Chandra Poudel and the FRNF representatives had held a series of negotiations throughout this week.

Following their eight point deal with the government, the leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) have said there is a strong possibility that the three parties of the front will contest the April election jointly.

"We struggled in the streets jointly. The election is another bigger battle for us. The people want us to go jointly and we are also willing to contest election by forging alliance among the Front partners," said Rajendra Mahato, chief of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP).

Agrees Hridayesh Tripathy, senior leader of Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP). "There could be mutual alliance," he said, adding that no formal decision to this regard has been made yet though.

Leader of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Jha also hinted of the similar possibility. "The Front should stay together till the election," he said.

The NSP, TMLP and MJF are the three constituents of the UDMF, which spearheaded the recent Madhes agitation.

ANI