The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal, welcoming the government’s decision to postpone the second phase of local elections by nine days, has urged the major parties to utilise the time to address its demands so that it can participate in the polls.

Leaders of the unified force of six Madhes-based parties on Monday discussed the government’s decisions but did not make official comments as they await the government’s further move to address their demands. The party has not taken any decision to suspend its protest programme.

“We have taken the government’s decision to delay the polls positively while passionately waiting for fulfilment of the other demands,” said RJP-N leader Rajendra Mahato.

Mahato said the government should utilise the time to ensure that their demands including party registration, election symbol, withdrawing criminal charges, declaring people killed during the Madhes protest as martyrs, releasing those arrested and providing compensation to the victims are met. Mahato said the party would carry on the protests until the government meets these demands.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday decided to postpone the second phase of local level polls scheduled for June 14. The vote will now be held on June 23.

After two days of discussion, major parties Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN-UML had agreed to postpone the polls.

Accordingly, the government on Monday formalised the decision with an aim to take the agitating RJP-N on board the polls.

The RJP-N-led Sanghiya Gathabandhan, which includes Madhesi and Janajati forces, has announced protests with an aim to foil the candidate nomination process.

The RJP-N says there are some 500 criminal charges against party cadres while around 100 people are still in prison. The government was yet to declare 16 people who died in the Madhes and Tharuhat movements as martyrs.

UML leaders are said to be flexible on amending the constitution right after the polls. Minister for Land Reforms and Management Gopal Dahit said the government would begin the process to request the Supreme Court to vacate its recent interim order that stayed the Cabinet decision to create 22 local units across the plains.

According to RJP-N leader Keshav Jha, the party would continue its discussion on the developments on Tuesday before coming up with an official response.