Kathmandu, Aug 14: The planned alliance between Dr Dhabal Shumsher Rana and activist Durga Prasai has broken down before their proposed party could be registered with the Election Commission.
The two sides had agreed to form the Jai Nepal Party, with Rana serving as chairperson and Prasai as supreme leader. However, the agreement collapsed before the registration process was completed.
Rana’s faction is preparing to approach the Election Commission today to register the party, while Prasai is holding a separate programme to present his position. The programme will be held at Shikhar Party Palace in Kalanki, according to Madhav Kalpit, a close associate of Prasai.
Kalpit said that Prasai’s side had asked Rana to wait until September 5, which they considered an auspicious date for registering the party, but Rana was unwilling to wait.
“Our focus is on protecting poor and vulnerable citizens. Microfinance and bank victims are coming to Kathmandu barefoot. We asked them to wait for these people, but he did not agree,” Kalpit said. “He moved ahead with registering the party after making himself the leader. Our priority is to protect citizens.”
Prasai said he would soon form a separate party after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on jointly registering the party with the Election Commission.
In a social media post, Prasai said the living conditions of people living below the poverty line, marginalised communities, landless squatters and victims of microfinance, cooperatives, banks and predatory lending had remained unchanged. Many, he said, had lost their homes because of exorbitant interest rates and were forced to live in makeshift settlements along roadsides and riverbanks.
“No party has been able to become the genuine party of these citizens,” Prasai wrote. “Our new party will belong to all Nepali citizens, regardless of caste or religion. With a Vedic Sanatan Hindu kingdom as its political vision, the party will be dedicated to the rights, justice and interests of the country’s victims, exploited and marginalised people and ordinary citizens.”
Kalpit, who had been appointed coordinator for drafting the new party’s statute, had issued a statement two days ago saying the party would be registered with the Election Commission.
A leader from Rana’s faction said the agreement collapsed after Prasai demanded the authority to sign candidates’ nominations during elections.
“He wanted the authority to sign candidates’ nominations during elections. Once he sought to take all the powers of the chairperson, we could not reach an agreement,” the leader said.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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