Five Communist Parties Announce Second Phase of Protests Against Upcoming Parliamentary Elections

Five communist parties that have decided to boycott the parliamentary elections scheduled for Falgun 21 have announced the programs for their second phase of agitation. The 'Central United Struggle Committee,' comprising five small communist parties, issued a statement on Tuesday announcing struggle programs from Magh 20 to Falgun 3.

According to the statement issued by CP Gajurel, the committee's coordinator, the second phase of the agitation will include leaflet distribution, wall writing, door-to-door campaigns, and corner meetings. It was stated that the concrete planning and implementation of these programs, decided in the committee meeting held on Magh 17, will be carried out by the local United Struggle Committees.

The committee has labeled the current government as a 'puppet' and concluded that boycotting the elections is necessary to advance the struggle for establishing an independent united people's government and drafting a people's constitution. Through the statement, the committee appealed to patriotic, progressive, leftist forces, as well as general laborers, farmers, employees, and national capitalists, to support the boycott campaign.

Meanwhile, the committee expressed objection over the arrest of its leaders during the election boycott campaign. The committee demanded the immediate release of Purnabahadur Khadka, a central member of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal, who was reportedly arrested by the police from Dudhauli in Sindhuli during the campaign.

The United Struggle Committee includes the Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal, Communist Party of Nepal (Majority), Scientific Socialist Communist Party Nepal, Communist Party of Nepal, and Communist Party of Nepal (Janapaksha).