The Madhesh government has postponed its protests against the federal government following Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s assurance that he would adjust the police force after the federal and provincial elections.

Members of the Madhesh government including Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut, provincial Cabinet members and lawmakers, for the past three days had been staging a sit-in in front of the official residence of the province chief, the representative of the federal government, demanding immediate adjustment of the police force.

“We have postponed our protests after Prime Minister Deuba verbally assured of adjustment of the police force after the formation of government following the elections,” said Raut.

Province Chief Hari Shankar Mishra, addressing a press meet at the sit-in protest site, said that the government had assured him of adjusting the police force after the upcoming elections.

The general and provincial elections are scheduled for November 20.

Despite the continuous demand by the provincial governments that the police force be adjusted immediately, the federal government has not done so because of which provinces are facing problems.

Earlier on July 7, internal affairs ministers of all the seven provinces had issued a seven-point declaration including their demands for early adjustment of the police force.

In the second week of July, the internal affairs ministers met all major leaders of the ruling coalition and set a mid-August deadline to adjust the police force.